Seventh seed Novak Djokovic and defending champion Jannik Sinner advanced to the men's singles fourth round at Wimbledon on Friday, July 3, 2026.
Djokovic defeated French 25th seed Arthur Rinderknech 7-5, 6-4, 1-6, 7-6 (7-4) on Centre Court, equaling Roger Federer's men's singles record of 105 match wins at the tournament.
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The victory also marked Djokovic's 18th appearance in the last 16, tying another Federer record in the Open era.
Rinderknech won more total points (117 to 108) and recorded 21 aces and 67 winners, while Djokovic had 15 aces and 40 winners.
Djokovic, seeking a record 25th Grand Slam singles title, became only the fourth man in the Open era to reach the Wimbledon last 16 at age 39 or older.
“Well, I saw him slip and fall down, so I was thinking: ‘Please, just stay down’ for that last shot.
I am just really relieved to come through,” said Djokovic, according to The Guardian.
Djokovic noted the challenges posed by Rinderknech, who had previously defeated Alexander Zverev on Centre Court.
“It took a bit of luck and a bit of skill in the end,” admitted Djokovic. “But that was also to do with his quality.
He is very tall, he hits incredible serves and he deserves a round of applause.”
Djokovic lost five consecutive games in the third set before recovering to win the fourth-set tie-break after three hours.
“There was a lot of slipping and sliding, drop shots, and cat and mouse play,” said Djokovic. “He has that variety because he has a big powerful game.
