Maps
Magazine

SPORTS

Wimbledon 2026: Frustrated Novak Djokovic Makes History with "Ugly" Victory Over Roman Safiullin
Novak Djokovic surpassed Roger Federer for the most men's singles match wins in Wimbledon history (106) with a gritty 7-6, 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 fourth-round victory over Roman Safiullin. Despite making history, a frustrated Djokovic labeled his performance "ugly" as he shifts focus to a high-stakes quarter-final clash with third seed Félix Auger-Aliassime.
ND
by News Desk
2026-07-07
Wimbledon 2026: Frustrated Novak Djokovic Makes History with

Detailed Report

  • A Historic but Frustrating Milestone: Novak Djokovic carved his name further into tennis history on Sunday, July 5, 2026, by securing his 106th singles match victory at the All England Club. The hard-fought 7-6 (8/6), 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 fourth-round triumph over Russian qualifier Roman Safiullin breaks his tie with longtime rival Roger Federer, granting Djokovic sole possession of the most men's singles match wins in Wimbledon history. Only Martina Navratilova (120 wins) has ever won more singles matches on SW19's lawns.

  • Perfectionism and "Ugly" Form: Despite the monumental achievement, the 39-year-old Serbian superstar was visibly dissatisfied with his performance, characterizing the win as "ugly" and admitting that enjoyment was completely absent from his day on Centre Court. The match marked the third time in four rounds at this year’s tournament that Djokovic has dropped a set. Known as an innate perfectionist, the seven-time champion confessed that his sky-high standards make it incredibly difficult to accept inconsistent baseline rallies and internal meltdowns, which frequently led to verbal, frustrated outbursts on the court.

  • Djokovic on Winning Ugly: "To be honest, haven't felt really great on the court, so I was just relieved to get out of it and get a win. Satisfaction and enjoyment was not part of today's win... I struggled to find the desired level in the game that I'm looking for. But a win is a win, even if you win ugly. Hopefully I can build from this."

    • The Path to a 25th Major: For Djokovic, breaking individual match records is secondary to his primary mission: claiming an absolute record-breaking 25th Grand Slam title and matching Federer’s hallmark record of eight men’s singles crowns at Wimbledon. The victory propels him into his 17th Wimbledon quarter-final and an astounding 66th career Grand Slam quarter-final overall.

    • The Quarter-Final Showdown: Djokovic moves on to face Canadian third seed Félix Auger-Aliassime in the last eight. Auger-Aliassime enters the marquee match carrying substantial momentum—and leg mileage—after outlasting Spain's Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in an exhausting four-hour, 26-minute, five-set thriller on No. 1 Court.

Tagged:

#Wimbledon2026 #NovakDjokovic #TennisHistory #DjokovicSafiullin #AllEnglandClub #RogerFederer #AugerAliassime #GrandSlam #WinningUgly
Share News: