Nine-year Roger Federer record now under serious threat after Novak Djokovic's latest Wimbledon win

Novak Djokovic is on the verge of breaking Roger Federer's Wimbledon record after advancing into the fourth round on Friday.

The 39-year-old looked to be cruising to a straight sets victory over Arthur Rinderknech on Centre Court after winning the first two 7-5 and 6-4.

But Rinderknech rallied and almost produced a stunning comeback, winning the third set 6-1, only to be denied in the fourth as Djokovic was left wiping the sweat off his brow after winning the tie-breaker 7-4.

After securing comfortable wins against Wu Yibing and Stefanos Tsitsipas in previous rounds, this match was far from straight forward for the seven-time Wimbledon champion - even if a three sets to one scoreline suggests it was - and even tougher tests could be on the horizon.

Djokovic is bidding to become the oldest winner of a Grand Slam in the Open era by lifting his eighth Wimbledon title after losing in the semi-finals to Jannik Sinner last year.

The world No.8, who will move ahead of Federer if he miraculously wins another final at SW19, can also break another his long-standing records in the next round.

Federer had the most wins in Wimbledon men's singles matches (105), but Djokovic's three set to one victory over Rinderknech has seen him equal that total, and is now looking to surpass it by progressing even further.

He can do so by beating Roman Safuillin in the last 16. The Russian is fresh from comfortably dispatching Joao Fonseca in straight sets, but the legendary Serbian will be confident of reaching the quarter-finals.

Djokovic has won all three of his head-to-head matches against Safuillin, last versing him at the Shanghai Masters in 2024 when he won 6-3, 6-2 in sets before eventually losing to Sinner in the final.

The 25-time Grand Slam champion will be well aware that history is on the line, and here is the list of the top 10 players with the most Wimbledon men's single wins as of July 3 2026.

Most wins in Wimbledon men's singles matches

• Roger Federer & Novak Djokovic – 105
• Jimmy Connors – 84
• Boris Becker – 71
• Pete Sampras – 63
• Andy Murray – 61
• John McEnroe – 59
• Rafael Nadal – 58
• Bjorn Borg – 51
• Stefan Edberg & Goran Ivanisevic – 49

Widely regarded as the greatest player of all-time, Djokovic can cement his legacy even more by reaching his 21st Wimbledon quarter-final, and by doing so, surpassing Federer wins in the competition.

Considering he turns 40 next year, the Serbian's longevity in the sport is something we may not see for a very long time, and that is why he's arguably head and shoulders above the rest in the all-time records.