LONDON: Towards the end of its opening Wimbledon third race, Novak Djokovicafter a short drop, he threw himself to his right to meet the volley, and put it well for the winner. Seconds later, the 39-year-old was settled, kneeling on Center Court before turning to the crowd and begging for more love. In the stands, his son Stefan jumped into a jubilant celebration, ending what was becoming Djokovic’s show.Three hours later, after 225 points and 41 games of active tennis, Djokovic was taking another bow. On this occasion, he and his opponent Arthur Rinderknech took to the grass after the Serbian overcame the French giant to seal victory. Djokovic was the first to return to his feet, walking around the net to hug and praise nine-year-old Rinderknech, his junior, whose fearless performance did more for the 24-year-old than he would have liked.Djokovic, who stepped out in his GOAT blazer looking every inch the seven-time Wimbledon champion, switched gears at the right time to claim a 7-5, 6-4, 1-6, 7-6(4) victory over the 30-year-old Frenchman and book his place in the fourth round, where he will face World No.“A bit of luck, a bit of skill, in the end,” Djokovic said when asked how he managed the feat. “It was a great way to part with me. I did my best. I think I served very well, in the break. Most of the time, I struggled with the job.”“But it was also because of his character. He’s very tall, he hit some amazing serves. It was a tough, close match. Sometimes you just have to find a way to win, and I’m glad I did that today.”Friday’s victory, which netted 107 winners – 67 of them from Rinderknech – saw Djokovic match the Roger FedererA record 105 match winning streak at men’s singles at Wimbledon. The duo trails only Martina Navratilova, who holds the all-time record with 120 victories on the grass court.At this stage of his career, Djokovic likes to conserve energy. The professional who has played seven times said that he believes that his body will continue to cooperate as the tournament progresses.“I think I did everything I needed to do today, for reasons that weren’t as good for me as in the second round, and it was enough for me to win,” he said. “At this age it is part of my job, every day brings something new and unexpected to me. I hope that I will come out well in a few days.”
Fonseca, Jodar is kneeling
It wasn’t the best of days for the two 19-year-olds who remained on the men’s list. Rafael Jodar and Joao Fonseca, ranked 23rd and 24th respectively, were both outplayed by qualifiers Shintaro Mochizuki and Safiullin.Fonseca, sluggish in movement and making shots on the day, looked like a man forced to work without his morning coffee as he bowed out 3-6, 3-6, 3-6 to return man Safiullin.Safiullin, who was ranked 36th and reached the Wimbledon quarter-finals in 2023, had to cut short his 2025 season in September after injuring his knee. He arrived at this year’s tournament without a win at the level of 2026. But after struggling through the qualifications, the Russian overcame three strong victories, Andrey Rublev, Botic van de Zandschulp and now Fonseca, to book his place in the round of 16.Jodar, meanwhile, went down 6-1, 6-7(5), 4-6, 4-6 to Shintaro Mochizuki, the 151st seed.