Novak Djokovic defeats Roman Safiullin 7-6, 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 at Wimbledon 2026 to break Roger Federer’s all-time men’s singles match win record.
Introduction:
Serbian legend Novak Djokovic carved his name even deeper into the history books on Centre Court at Wimbledon 2026. Facing a highly motivated Roman Safiullin in the Round of 16, the seven-time champion secured a hard-fought 7-6, 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 victory. With this triumph, Novak captured his 106th men’s singles match victory at the All England Club, officially breaking a tie with Roger Federer for the most wins in the Open Era.
Safiullin Pushes the Legend Early On
The match began with immense intensity as Roman Safiullin, a former quarterfinalist at the tournament, came out with absolutely nothing to lose. Playing aggressive grass-court tennis, the dangerous qualifier broke Djokovic twice early in the opening set to build a commanding 5-2 lead. See also: Historic 105th Victory Carries Novak Djokovic into Round of 16
Showing his trademark mental toughness, Novak settled his nerves, tightened his defensive baseline game, and fought back to level the set. The opening chapter went into a dramatic tiebreak, where the Serbian star raised his level at crunch time to take it 7-6. Riding that positive wave of momentum, Djokovic looked far more comfortable in the second set, utilizing deep returns to claim it 6-3.
A Brief Scare in the Third Set
Just when it seemed the match was heading toward a straightforward conclusion, Safiullin launched a brave counter-attack. The qualifier took a brief medical timeout at 3-2 up in the third set and returned with renewed energy. He successfully broke the Novak serve for a third time in the match, frustrating the world-class perfectionist. Safiullin captured the third set 6-3 to extend the battle into a fourth.
Djokovic Closes Out a Historic Milestone
Faced with a potential comeback, Djokovic responded like a true champion at the start of the fourth set. He immediately broke Safiullin’s opening service game to love, completely stopping the underdog’s momentum.
Serving beautifully with ten total aces throughout the match, Novak never looked back. He sealed the final set 6-3 with a delicate drop-shot volley at the net on match point, securing his 17th career Wimbledon quarterfinal appearance.
