Novak Djokovic etched his name further into Wimbledon history on Sunday, defeating qualifier Roman Safiullin 7-6(6), 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 to claim his 106th match win at the All England Club, surpassing Roger Federer's long-standing men's record. Yet the 39-year-old Serb was almost comically indifferent about the achievement, admitting he wasn't even aware of it until after his previous victory.
"Not on my priority list," Djokovic said bluntly, making clear that chasing Federer's eight Wimbledon titles, and becoming the first player in history to win 25 Grand Slam trophies, are the only milestones that truly matter to him.
The match itself was anything but a smooth procession. Safiullin, ranked 132nd in the world, pushed the former world number one hard across a grueling three hours and 26 minutes, Djokovic's longest Wimbledon match since his five-set final defeat to Carlos Alcaraz in 2023. The Russian qualifier, who had upset Joao Fonseca in the previous round while battling through a serious injury scare earlier in the season, even took a set and forced Djokovic into visible frustration. The Serb received a warning for an audible obscenity and was fortunate to escape further punishment after an errant ball strike.
"I'm known for my outbursts and meltdowns, I had a few of those today, so I apologise," Djokovic said, with characteristic candor.
His 106 wins remain second only to Martina Navratilova's all-time record of 120. He now enters his 17th Wimbledon quarterfinal, just one behind Federer's record, and could face a blockbuster semifinal against Jannik Sinner if both men advance. "Survive to thrive, hopefully the thriving part is coming," Djokovic added.
TennisDraw users who backed Djokovic to reach the final will be watching his quarterfinal performance very closely.
