Novak Djokovic reaches Wimbledon quarter-finals after battling win over Safiullin
BBC Sport • 2 min read • Latest: Jul 5, 2026, 6:18 PM
Last updated Jul 5, 2026

Novak Djokovic secured his spot in the Wimbledon quarter-finals with a 7-6 (6), 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 victory over Roman Safiullin. The match lasted nearly three and a half hours, during which Djokovic faced challenges, particularly in the first set where Safiullin had two set points. This victory marks Djokovic's 106th singles win at Wimbledon and his ninth consecutive advancement to the quarter-finals at the tournament. Djokovic is pursuing his 25th Grand Slam title, continuing his historic run in major tournaments.
- •Djokovic's win over Safiullin required almost three and a half hours.
- •He faced two set points against Safiullin in the first set.
- •This is Djokovic's 17th quarter-final appearance at Wimbledon.
- •The match demonstrated Djokovic's resilience despite struggles.
- 6:35 PMBBC Sport — Record-breaking Djokovic sees off Safiullin to progress to quarter-finals
- 6:18 PMThe Guardian Sport — Djokovic breaks Wimbledon record with win over Safiullin to reach quarter-finals
"Djokovic clinches 106th singles victory at Wimbledon 39-year-old continues quest for 25th grand slam title In his quest to win a record-extending 25th grand slam title, Novak Djokovic cares only about results. How perfectly he plays holds less importance. On Sunday he was pushed hard by the Russian Roman Safiullin, and at times he cut a frustrated figure on Centre Court as his game didn’t flow the way it usually does. But for a record 106th time here, he came out on top, reaching the quarter-finals for the ninth time in a row and a 17th occasion in all. The 39-year-old has now made the quarter-finals of a major tournament 66 times. Djokovic’s 7-6 (6), 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 victory against Safiullin required almost three and a half hours of effort on another warm afternoon in which he was rattled at times, mostly by the performance of the Russian, who played far more like his career-high ranking of 36 than his present mark of 132. Safiullin had two set points at 5-2 in the opening set only to be edged out in a tiebreak and was good enough to take the third set before Djokovic raised his game at the start of the fourth to avoid it going to a decider. Continue reading...
"Novak Djokovic defeats Roman Safiullin in four sets to reach the quarter-finals of Wimbledon 2026, overtaking Roger Federer to become the all-time wins leader in the men's singles competition at SW19.
Sources
External links- BBC SportJul 5, 2026, 6:35 PMRecord-breaking Djokovic sees off Safiullin to progress to quarter-finals
Novak Djokovic defeats Roman Safiullin in four sets to reach the quarter-finals of Wimbledon 2026, overtaking Roger Federer to become the all-time wins leader in the men's singles competition at SW19.
- The Guardian SportJul 5, 2026, 6:18 PMDjokovic breaks Wimbledon record with win over Safiullin to reach quarter-finals
Djokovic clinches 106th singles victory at Wimbledon 39-year-old continues quest for 25th grand slam title In his quest to win a record-extending 25th grand slam title, Novak Djokovic cares only about results. How perfectly he plays holds less importance. On Sunday he was pushed hard by the Russian Roman Safiullin, and at times he cut a frustrated figure on Centre Court as his game didn’t flow the way it usually does. But for a record 106th time here, he came out on top, reaching the quarter-finals for the ninth time in a row and a 17th occasion in all. The 39-year-old has now made the quarter-finals of a major tournament 66 times. Djokovic’s 7-6 (6), 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 victory against Safiullin required almost three and a half hours of effort on another warm afternoon in which he was rattled at times, mostly by the performance of the Russian, who played far more like his career-high ranking of 36 than his present mark of 132. Safiullin had two set points at 5-2 in the opening set only to be edged out in a tiebreak and was good enough to take the third set before Djokovic raised his game at the start of the fourth to avoid it going to a decider. Continue reading...
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