Djokovic surpasses Federer with 106th Wimbledon match win
Get the Sports newsletter
Daily sports — scores, transfers, the storylines from the leagues you actually follow. Free.
- Novak Djokovic won his 106th Wimbledon men's match, surpassing Roger Federer's all-time record, by beating 132nd-ranked qualifier Roman Safiullin 7-6 (6), 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 over 3 hours and 26 minutes on Centre Court.
- Djokovic apologized during his on-court interview for 'the outbursts, the meltdowns,' including an obscenity warning and drawing boos after swiping a ball in frustration upon dropping the third set.
- Djokovic reached his 17th Wimbledon quarterfinal — one behind Federer's record — and still trails Martina Navratilova's all-time mark of 120 match wins.
- Djokovic opted to play more at the net than usual after losing baseline rallies, saying he 'doesn't get to feel inferior from the back of the court' often and needed to mix things up.
- Djokovic will face third-seeded Felix Auger-Aliassime next after the Canadian survived a five-set thriller 6-7 (4), 7-6 (6), 6-3, 6-7 (2), 6-1 against Alejandro Davidovich Fokina.
- Auger-Aliassime's match featured one of the tournament's best points — a 40-0 rally where he laughed in disbelief while missing an open court as his diving opponent lay on the ground.
Why it matters: Djokovic's record-breaking moment was marred by uncharacteristic on-court frustration that drew boos from the Centre Court crowd — a sign that at 38, grinding past a 132nd-ranked qualifier in 3½ hours may not hold up against deeper Slam runs. His next opponent is Auger-Aliassime, who himself survived a five-set scare Sunday, meaning the path to title No. 8 and a record 25th major gets no easier.
