Wimbledon 2026: Djokovic creates history, books quarter-final berth with 106th win

Novak Djokovic etched his name deeper into Wimbledon history by defeating Roman Safiullin in the fourth round to book his place in the quarter-finals and become the winningest men's singles player in the tournament's history. The seven-time Wimbledon champion overcame a spirited challenge from the Russian qualifier 7(8)-6(6), 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 on Centre Court on Sunday.

READ THIS: 'I've given everything': Cristiano Ronaldo confirms 2026 World Cup will be his last

Novak's record

The victory marked Djokovic's 106th men's singles win at Wimbledon, taking him past Roger Federer, who previously held the record with 105 victories. It was also the Serbian's 17th Wimbledon quarter-final and 66th Grand Slam quarter-final, further extending his remarkable longevity in the sport.

Djokovic, seeded seventh, had to work hard against Safiullin, who pushed him throughout the contest with aggressive baseline play and powerful serving. The opening set proved decisive as the Serbian saved set points before edging the tie-break 8-6. He then took control of the second set with a crucial break, but Safiullin refused to fade away, claiming the third set after capitalising on a dip in Djokovic's level.

The 39-year-old responded like a champion in the fourth set, tightening his service games and mixing in serve-and-volley tactics to blunt Safiullin's attack. A timely break gave him the cushion he needed before he closed out the match with confidence, moving one step closer to another Wimbledon crown.

In the post-match presentation, Djokovic said, "Another hard-fought win. Roman started very well. Roman started very well, very aggressively. I didn’t feel so comfortable from the back of the court. I knew it was going to be a challenge staying in the rallies with him. He’s a very solid player He should be proud of the performance today."

25th Grand Slam

Djokovic is chasing history on multiple fronts this fortnight. A triumph at the All England Club would see him equal Federer's record of eight Wimbledon men's singles titles while also securing a record-extending 25th Grand Slam singles title. Despite the milestone victory, the Serbian admitted the contest was far from comfortable, describing it as more about survival than flowing tennis due to difficult conditions and Safiullin's fearless shot-making.

ALSO READ: 'I started here and I...': Neymar retires from international football after Brazil loses to Norway in World Cup

Wimbledon 2026

Elsewhere in the tournament, top seed Jannik Sinner advanced to the quarter-finals with a straight-sets victory over Shintaro Mochizuki. In the women's draw, Jessica Pegula came from a set down to defeat Iva Jovic 4-6, 6-3, 6-1, while Karolina Muchova also reached the last eight. The biggest upset of the day came when Naomi Osaka knocked out world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka to book her place in the quarter-finals.