Novak Djokovic reached the Wimbledon 2026 fourth round after defeating Arthur Rinderknech 7-5, 6-4, 1-6, 7-6(4) in Friday’s third-round match.
The victory also saw the Serbian equal Roger Federer’s Open Era record of 105 men’s singles match wins at Wimbledon.
The seven-time Wimbledon champion added another historic milestone while continuing his bid for a record-extending 25th Grand Slam singles title.
Here’s how Djokovic reached the Wimbledon fourth round, the key stats from the match, and the record he matched.
How Novak Djokovic reached the Wimbledon 2026 fourth round
Rinderknech made a bright start with his serve and finished the match with 21 aces. Djokovic broke at the right time in the opening set to win it 7-5 before taking the second set 6-4.
The third set produced the biggest surprise of the afternoon.
Rinderknech raced into a 5-0 lead and came within one game of handing Djokovic a bagel before the Serbian held serve to make it 5-1. The Frenchman then closed the set 6-1.
Neither player found a breakthrough in the fourth set, sending it into a tiebreak. Djokovic claimed the important points to edge ahead.
On the final rally, both players dived across the grass before Djokovic sealed a 7-6(4) victory after three hours on Centre Court.
Key Stats From the Match
The numbers show how competitive the match remained from the first set to the last.
| Stat | Arthur Rinderknech | Novak Djokovic |
|---|---|---|
| Aces | 21 | 15 |
| Double Faults | 4 | 3 |
| First Serve % | 63% | 68% |
| First Serve Points Won | 81% | 73% |
| Second Serve Points Won | 71% | 73% |
| Break Points | 3/5 | 3/9 |
| Tiebreaks Won | 0 | 1 |
| Receiving Points Won | 33 | 28 |
| Total Points Won | 117 | 108 |
| Games Won | 21 | 21 |
One number stands out from the match. Rinderknech won more total points than Djokovic, 117 to 108, despite losing.
That happened mainly because the Frenchman dominated the third set 6-1 after racing into a 5-0 lead, which gave him a clear advantage in overall points.
Djokovic, however, made the most of the important points across the opening, second and fourth sets to book his place in the Wimbledon 2026 fourth round.
Novak Djokovic equals Federer’s Open Era Wimbledon record
Djokovic’s third-round victory moved him level with Roger Federer on 105 Wimbledon men’s singles match wins in the Open Era. Only Martina Navratilova has won more singles matches at the Championships with 120.
The seven-time Wimbledon champion has added another milestone to a career that already includes 24 Grand Slam singles titles.
Another victory at Wimbledon 2026 will move him ahead of Federer and into sole possession of second place on the tournament’s all-time singles wins list.
Djokovic also brought a smile to Centre Court during his on-court interview after matching the record.
“I propose a match between me and Roger. Whoever wins gets it. Let’s stop it here and call Roger to come. I’m sure he’d like to take up that challenge.”
Conclusion
Djokovic added another historic achievement to his Wimbledon career by matching Roger Federer’s Open Era record of 105 men’s singles match wins. The victory also sent him into the fourth round of Wimbledon 2026.
Rinderknech produced an excellent performance and pushed the seven-time champion across four sets.
Even so, Djokovic took another step forward in his title campaign with another memorable win on Centre Court.
His next challenge comes against Roman Safiullin. A victory there would move Djokovic past Federer and give him sole ownership of another Wimbledon record.
