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Novak Djokovic confirmed his place in the fourth round of Wimbledon by defeating Arthur Rinderknech in four sets on Centre Court.

The 24-time Grand Slam champion is one of the favourites for the title this year and he looked impressive against the powerful Frenchman.

Losing the third set 6-1 aside, Djokovic got the job done against Rinderknech and he will now play qualifier Roman Safiullin in the fourth round.

With the victory, Djokovic has matched Roger Federer’s record of 105 wins at Wimbledon.

Djokovic was asked about the record-matching win in his post-match press conference, and asked if he can catch Martina Navratilova’s all-time Wimbledon record of 120 wins.

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The 24-time Grand Slam champion said: “I’m sure there’s going to be someone else after 120. Obviously to be able to make history of this sport is a huge honour and privilege, and particularly here.

“I’ve said it many times, it’s always been a dream, a childhood tournament of mine. I’m not thinking about it [the record], I’m just trying to win that match on the given day. I was quite stressed out, more tension than honestly than usual. I knew it was going to be a very challenging match for me, which is turned out to be.”

Djokovic then cheekily suggested a match between him and Federer to decide the outright Wimbledon record.

Just happy to overcome this and I propose a match up between me and Roger for 106,” he said, much to the delight of the Centre Court crowd. “Whoever wins, gets it!”

Djokovic has dropped two sets en route to the fourth round of Wimbledon and he is delighted to navigate his way in fairly straightforward fashion.

“Sometimes you just have to find a way to win and I did that today,” he said during his on-court interview with Annabel Croft of the BBC.

“I saw him slip and fall down and I was like: ‘Please stay down for that last shot’. There was a lot of slipping and sliding, cat and mouse play, he has that variety.

“He has the big powerful game, big shots, serve plus one, comes into the net, he was changing the pace, putting a lot of variety in his game. Taking me out of his comfort zone. He did very well and I’m really relieved to come through this one.” 

Djokovic will also have been buoyed by the third round exit of Joao Fonseca, who was defeated in the third round of Wimbledon. The pair could have met in the fourth round, which would have been a follow-up to Fonseca knocking Djokovic out of Roland Garros last month.

The post Novak Djokovic shares instant reaction to matching Roger Federer’s victory record at Wimbledon appeared first on Tennis365.

Serena Williams’ knee injury has cast major doubt over the star’s upcoming doubles appearance alongside her sister Venus Williams.

Williams has received a wildcard to play both singles and doubles, but that was derailed during her first round match against Maya Joint on Centre Court.

The American icon was defeated by Joint, in a match which reportedly saw her tweak her knee in the 6-3, 6-7, 6-3 defeat to the Australian.

I tweaked my knee late in the first set, but I’ll be doing everything I can to be ready for doubles with Venus Williams,” wrote the star on Instagram after her defeat to Joint.

Williams was still nowhere to be seen on Friday, July 3rd’s order of play at Wimbledon, despite the doubles draw getting underway at the Grand Slam.

However, Williams has still not withdrawn from the competition and tournament director Jamie Baker has broken with tradition to allow the star the time to work out if she can play alongside her sister.

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Speaking during a Wimbledon press conference, Baker said: “We are giving her as much time, obviously we want her to play if she possibly can.”

This is rare for Wimbledon to bend its rules, as it is usually a tightly run ship to try and get the tournament finished in the allocated two weeks.

However, Baker has suggested those usual strict rules are actually a guidline and he is confident the tournament will be finished on time.

“In terms of the days, it’s actually a guideline, that’s what we’re hoping to do based on trying to get the tournament finished,” said the former tennis star.

“There are actually sometimes exceptional circumstances, whether it’s weather or injuries. We wouldn’t do that if we felt that it was putting the rest of the competition in any type of danger of putting it back.”

Although it is currently unclear if she will play, Baker has outlined where the potenial return of the Williams sisters will take place.

Baker cited the “numbers of people and safety” as a factor into Wimbledon’s decision, which implies it could be put on a showcase court.

The tournament director also added: “Serena and Venus, they’re massive global stars, so there’s a lot of people who want to see.”

If they do play, the Williams sisters will play doubles at Wimbledon for the first time in a decade, when they lifted the title at the 2016 event.

That was their sixth Grand Slam title together at Wimbledon and their 14th, and last, overall Grand Slam title in doubles.

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Novak Djokovic is one of the favourites to win Wimbledon this year as he looks to claim the 25th Grand Slam of his career.

The Serbian might be closing in on 40-years-old, but many believe Djokovic’s best chance to win another major title comes on the grass of Wimbledon.

Djokovic has started the tournament well, defeating Wu Yibing and Stefanos Tsitsipas on Centre Court and dropping just one set in the process.

Ahead of his third round match against Arthur Rinderknech, Djokovic has been spotted practicing alongside Britain’s Adam Jones, who is curently ranked outside the top 1000 of the ATP Tour rankings.

Taking to Instagram, Jones shared a picture alongside Djokovic at Aorangi Park with the caption: “Always a pleasure to strike some with the goat.”

Jones is known in the tennis community for his tongue-in-cheek take on the world of tennis and he also made the time to crack a few jokes after practicing with the 24-time Grand Slam champion.

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Alongside a video of the pair practicing together, Jones quipped: “Novak Djokovic facing the Jonesy forehand is no easy task” on social media.

Jones has made a name for himself over the years as a hitting partner for the very best on the ATP Tour and the WTA Tour.

At the Australian Open, his services were lauded as he worked alongside both Carlos Alcaraz and Elena Rybakina, both of whom claimed the singles Grand Slam titles in Melbourne.

Jones has also worked with the likes of Belinda Bencic and Donna Vekic during the grass court season, the latter of which during her remarkable run to the Queen’s title.

Providing his hitting partner servies at Wimbledon is nothing new for Jones, who played alongside the likes of Alcaraz at last year’s event.

Speaking to BBC Sport at last year’s Wimbledon, Jones said: “It’s a great gig and a fun way to earn some money. The Futures tour is a rat race – the finances are absolutely brutal.

“If you lose in qualifying you get no money. A couple of weeks ago I won $37 after losing in singles quallies and then lost first round doubles – the minimum for a hotel was $150 a night.

“You’re losing money every single week. When people see you’re a tennis player and see you’re at Wimbledon, they think you have loads of money and live a luxurious life. You don’t – it’s the complete opposite.”

With Jones proving he is undoubtedly a lucky charm to many of the top talents on the ATP Tour and WTA Tour, he has become one of the most sought-after hitting partners in tennis.

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Alex Eala has booked a re-match with defending champion Iga Swiatek after she moved into the third round at Wimbledon – and former British No 1 Greg Rusedski has suggested her run may not stop here.

Eala’s win against Maya Joint secured her passage to the last-32 at a Grand Slam for the first time, with the Filipina’s confidence growing after a grass court season that saw her lift the title at the Birmingham Open and enjoy a strong run at the WTA 500 tournament in Berlin.

Now Rusedski is backing Eala to test Swiatek, who looked vulnerable and emotional in her opening match against Taylor Townsend.

“It’s a little bit of a toss-up right now. This match is hard to call,” said Rusedski on his podcast.

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“I love those 50-50 matchups and we know probably where the crowd’s gonna be with because Eala is just about the most popular player in women’s tennis.

“This is gonna be one of the hottest tickets in the women’s draw this third round matchup.

“Eala is coming in on the back of good form. She won a title leading in and that gives you lots of confidence.

“She also beat today the player that beat a certain Serena Williams in the first round to get here. It took her three sets, but after losing an opening set. So that is impressive. She managed the nerves, pushed through.

“Now she is into the third round where she plays Iga Swiatek, somebody who she’s practiced with a lot at the Rafael Nadal Academy. So they each know each other’s game very, very well. And she’s beaten Swiatek as well. This is her best surface. So I think this match could go either way.”

Rusedski went on to salute Eala’s focus and dedication to the game, as he suggested her team will ease her rise to the top.

“What I like about her is she’s putting in the work,” he added. “She’s got a great coach behind her. She’s got a good team of people.

“Also, she’s got confidence. When you beat Elena Rybakina and Elana Svitolina (in Berlin), that gives you a lot of self-belief. So she’s on a little bit of a roll right now, you know, and I like the way she can swing or serve, and use the court to her advantage as well.

“The ball stays exactly the right height for her. So it’s going to be interesting to see in this third-round match.

“I’m assuming this has got to be a Centre Court match-up just because it’s gonna be the match-up we all want to see. And I kind of feel like right now is a little bit of distance, destiny possibly for her, because if she was to beat Swiatek, that would be a huge statement.”

“To make her first fourth round of a major. This is the furthest she’s been so far. But for Swiatek, on the other hand, it’s like, okay, look, I’m getting my redemption back.

“I haven’t been where I’ve wanted to be on the court. The results didn’t happen after changing coaches with Francisco Roig at the French Open. And now all of a sudden, maybe it’s the time she steps up. So that’s why this is so intriguing.”

READ NEXT: Wimbledon: Alex Eala’s full press conference after latest win as she looks ahead to Iga Swiatek match

The post Alex Eala v Iga Swiatek: Former British No 1 gives his verdict on Wimbledon showdown appeared first on Tennis365.

Novak Djokovic will surely be delighted with his progress at Wimbledon so far, as he has made it to the third round of the Grand Slam with relative ease.

Djokovic has dropped just one set in his first two matches, against Wu Yibing and Stefanos Tsitsipas, with his performance against the latter proving to be a real statement-maker.

With Jannik Sinner showing signs of weakness in his opening round matches, Djokovic will be hoping to hit a rich vein of form before a potential meeting with the World No 1 in the semi-finals.

He will need to continue winning until then, however, and he next plays Arthur Rinderknech in the third round.

Djokovic will be delighted with his scheduling for his third round match as he will open proceedings on Centre Court on Friday, July 3rd’s order of play.

Following his match with Tsitsipas, Djokovic put in a subtle request to play the first match on Centre Court next.

“I’d love to play outdoor Wimbledon grass court match,” said Djokovic during his post-match interview with the BBC. [I] haven’t had chance so far, so let’s see.”

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That will come to fruition as Djokovic and Rinderknech will play the opening match, meaning it will almost definitely be played without a roof.

The weather forecast for Friday is set to be ‘partly sunny’, but there is no sign of rain so Djokovic will get to play in outside conditions for the first time this year at Wimbledon.

Djokovic and Rinderknech’s match will be followed by Aryna Sabalenka vs Jelena Ostapenko and Felix Auger-Aliassime vs Michael Zheng on Centre Court.

Also featuring on Friday, July 3rd’s schedule is Daria Kasatkina vs Naomi Osaka and Claire Liu vs Coco Gauff, both of which will be on Court One.

Jannik Sinner will also play on Court One for the first time this year, and he will be hoping to get the best of Jenson Brooksby in round three.

With temperatures set to soar at Wimbledon from Sunday, it could be the last time both Djokovic and Sinner play in ideal conditions at Wimbledon this year.

Both men struggled in the intense heat of Roland Garros, suffering early exits at the hands of Joao Fonseca and Juan Manuel Cerundolo, respectively.

Sinner struggled with fatigue after two sets against Cerundolo, while Djokovic appeared to throw up on court as he was beaten by Fonseca on Philippe-Chatrier.

They will both be hoping they can deal with the hot conditions at Wimbledon better than they managed at the Paris Grand Slam.

The post Novak Djokovic has been granted his wish ahead of next Wimbledon match appeared first on Tennis365.

Andy Murray was denied the chance to make his coaching debut at Wimbledon after Jack Draper was forced to pull out with a recurrence of his arm injury and now the former two-time champion at the All England Club has given his verdict on why some of the biggest names in the sport are being struck down by fitness issues.

Carlos Alcaraz, Emma Raducanu and Holger Rune are among the big names who have been struck down by injury issues in recent months, with Draper’s misery among the more acute as the former world No 4 has struggled to get on court since Wimbledon last year.

Draper’s arm problems are showing no sign of clearing up, with rest believed to be the only cure for the issue he is suffering from.

Murray also battled injuries throughout his career and when asked to assess why so many players are struggling to maintain their fitness levels at an IBM event attended by Tennus365, he offered up some revealing answers.

“This is an interesting one because I don’t think the data suggests we are getting any more injuries now compared to ten years ago,” said Murray.

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“There does seem to be more upper limb injuries than there was and in my opinion, that is due to the change in racket technology and the strings that players are using.

“Players have gone to much lighter rackets than they used to use before. And with quite, like, stiff strings in the racket, so a lot of force is going through the arm. Whereas before, players use much more forgiving strings and heavier rapids, and that meant more of the force went through the racket than the arm.

“I feel like that’s something that maybe some of the players should look at.

“Because the game has got quicker and faster, players feel like they need a lighter racket. They feel that when the ball’s coming quickly, you need to get that racket moving fast. So, yeah, I feel like there’s been a bit of change in racket technology, which has maybe put a bit more stress on the player’s arms.”

Draper’s future in tennis has been thrown into doubt after he revealed the reason for his withdrawal from Wimbledon was a recurrence of the arm injury that has kept him out of action for most of the last 12 months.

“Devastated to share that I have had to withdraw from my first round match due to a recurrence of my arm injury,” said Draper in a statement.

“There have been a lot of painful moments in the last 12 months but this one is definitely the absolute worst as there is no greater honour for a British player than playing at Wimbledon. I will continue to persevere through this.”

It’s safe to assume Murray has been advising Draper to look into his racket and string set-up in the brief period of time he has spent on court with the former British No 1 in recent weeks.

Tennis365 already revealed last year that Raducanu has been experimenting with different string and racket set-ups and Alcaraz may well be looking into this area as well as he plots a return to tennis.

READ NEXT: Greg Rusedski’s worrying verdict on Emma Raducanu and Jack Draper after Wimbledon withdrawals

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Iga Swiatek breezed through to the third round of Wimbledon by defeating Karolina Pliskova in straight sets.

Swiatek raced to a 6-1, 6-3 victory against the former World No 1 in what was one of her best performances under new coach Francisco Roig.

The World No 3 struggled in her first match against Taylor Townsend, needing a deciding set to get through the contest, but that wasn’t the case against Pliskova.

Martina Navratilova, who was watching Swiatek on BBC Sport commentary duty, was very impressed by the Pole’s performance in her second round match.

The multi-time Grand Slam champion rated Swiatek an A+ for her performance, which was then relayed to the Pole in her post-match interview.

Speaking on-court to the BBC, Swiatek was asked about Navratilova’s high praise following the match.

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“Wow! Thanks for that. When legends like that say nice things about you, it means a lot,” said Swiatek about Navratilova’s comments.

“It is basically why you try to be the best tennis player possible, so that people appreciate it. I’m really happy that she is saying that,” she said, although she later admitted that she didn’t agree with the assessment.

“I don’t know if it was an A+ because at times it was a tricky game, especially with the wind. Sometimes the balls were really low and far away from you,” said Swiatek.

“I felt like I played so many dirty shots in that final game especially, I wasn’t able to control them that much. So maybe not A+, more like B I would say.”

Swiatek will next play Alexandra Eala at Wimbledon, who defeated Maya Joint in a three-set contest. Eala has made it to the third round of a Grand Slam for the first time in her career and she has been rewarded with a very tough match against the Pole.

Swiatek and Eala have been constant foes since the Filipina’s breakthrough tournament at the Miami Open back in 2025, which saw her reach the semi-finals of the event.

Eala toppled Swiatek during the American event, knocking the then-World No 2 out in straight sets in the quarter-finals of the Masters event.

The pair met in the Madrid Open a few months later, which allowed Swiatek to earn some semblance of revenge on the rising Filipina star.

Swiatek will be the overwhelming favourite to win the contest, but it has all the makings of a banana skin for the World No 3. The match is set to take place Saturday, July 4th, with the order of play yet to be confirmed by the Grand Slam.

The post Iga Swiatek disagrees with Martina Navratilova’s opinion on her latest win at Wimbledon appeared first on Tennis365.

Jannik Sinner is through to the third round of Wimbledon, but he has been far from convincing in his first two matches at SW19.

The Italian is looking to defend his Wimbledon title, and he would become just the tenth man in tennis history to win back-to-back Grand Slams at the London event if he does so.

While Sinner entered the tournament as one of the overwhelming favourites, he has not been putting in the type of performances we have come to expect from the World No 1.

Sinner needed five sets to defeat Miomir Kecmanovic in the first round and he was just a set away from an early exit against the Serbian star.

The scoreline for his match against Nuno Borges in round two was far more convincing, but he still showcased several weaknesses against the Portuguese star.

He was broken several times and he needed two tie-breaks to defeat the World No 51 and set up a third round clash with Jenson Brooksby next.

Sinner’s performances so far at Wimbledon are a far cry from what was saw from the World No 1 during his Grand Slam winning campaign last year.

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The Italian didn’t drop a set until the fourth round in 2025 and there is one astonishing stat which truly exhibits Sinner’s drop off at this year’s event.

In his first two matches at Wimbledon last year, against Luca Nardi and Aleksandar Vukic, Sinner hit just 14 unforced errors on his forehand side.

This year, against Kecmanovic and Borges, Sinner has already hit 43 unforced errors on his forehand side.

That is shocking difference for the Italian and it’s allowed several lower-ranked players a chance to truly give it a go against the once unbeatable presence on the other side of the court.

It’s especially surprising as Sinner’s forehand has often been his biggest weapon and it’s helped him claim several Grand Slam and Masters titles over the years.

At one point in his match against Borges, Sinner was averaging a forehand quality rating of 6.7, which is almost unheard of for the Italian.

It’s absolutely essential that Sinner addresses his recent woes on his forehand side if he wants to claim back-to-back Wimbledon titles this year.

Against the top players, especially Novak Djokovic, who he could play in the semi-finals, he will absolutely be punished if he gives away that number of free points of his forehand side.

At present, Sinner’s big serving has been enough to counter act his difficulties on his forehand side, but that is surely not sustainable at the latter stages of a Grand Slam such as Wimbledon.

The post Jannik Sinner’s biggest problem at Wimbledon this year could not be clearer appeared first on Tennis365.

Iga Swiatek made a nervous start to her Wimbledon title defence and the behaviour of members of her team during her match against Taylor Townsend raised several eyebrows.

The six-time Grand Slam winner was handed a tough opening assignment at the All England Club as Townsend is known for lifting her game for the big occasion and that proved to be the case on Centre Court on Tuesday.

Swiatek saved five break points in her opening game of the match, but appeared to settle down after that as she went on to break three times to take the opening set.

But Townsend sensed that she was still jittery in the second set as the American raced into a 4-0 lead and eventually took it to a decider.

And Swiatek also struggled at the start of the third set, saving four break points before two late breaks earned her a 6-1, 2-6, 6-3 victory.

There was an outpouring of emotion at the end of the match as the Pole cried while sitting down on her chair and during her post-match reaction, she admitted “it was a tough couple of weeks” without going into further detail.

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But concerns were raised about the interactions of her team members, particularly coach Francisco Roig and sports psychologist Daria Abramowicz, as there was a lot of “gesturing” during the encounter.

The Tennis Podcast’s Catherine Whittaker witnessed it all and revealed: “There were quite a few head-up interactions in her box throughout the match between Francisco Roig, her coach, and Daria Abramowicz, her psychologist.

“I did see them high-five at the end of the match, the whole team high-fived amongst themselves when she won.

“But then Francisco Roig left the box on his own, didn’t look back and wait for the others. They were all there, he had left on his own. It’s not giving harmonious and settled [atmosphere] at the moment and Swiatek, I think, is somebody who needs harmonious and settled and quiet.

“I don’t know what’s going on, but I just sense it’s turbulent.”

David Law added: “Whenever we saw Roig with [Emma] Raducanu, he talks a lot, he is a lot, I think.”

Whittaker then replied: “And she’s [Abramowicz] a lot, she talks a lot and from her perspective ‘I’m the one who has been here for however many years’. Her role is wide-ranging, it is not as simple as just a psychologist anymore.

“From his perspective, he is probably like ‘I’m the coach, you do your psychology, leave the coaching to me’. I can imagine where tension is likely to come.”

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This year’s Wimbledon Championships “will mark a turning point” in the remainder of Novak Djokovic’s career, according to a former world No 2.

Djokovic is chasing en eighth Wimbledon title, which would see him equal the men’s singles record held by his great former rival, Roger Federer.

The legendary Serb last won Wimbledon in 2022, while he claimed his 24th and most recent Grand Slam title at the 2023 US Open.

Having turned 39 in May, Djokovic is bidding to become the oldest major singles champion in tennis history.

Djokovic, who has spent a record 428 weeks as world No 1, is seeded seventh at Wimbledon due to his current ranking.

He is in the same half of the draw as Jannik Sinner, the world No 1 and defending champion at the All England Club.

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In an interview with Marca, Spanish tennis great Alex Corretja was asked if Wimbledon is Djokovic’s last chance to add to his record Grand Slam total.

“I think he’s running out of options. And he knows it; he’s aware that he’s physically at his limit and that he needs to give it his all,” said the two-time Roland Garros finalist.

“But in Australia, he played in the final and was up a set against Alcaraz. And he beat Sinner in the semi-finals.

“Novak is too smart to count him out. But grass is his best option because there aren’t as many specialists, and because he returns the ball better than anyone.

“This Wimbledon will mark a turning point in the rest of his career, for sure. Depending on what happens here, there will be a turning point.”

Alexander Zverev is the No 2 seed at Wimbledon, and Corretja assessed that the German’s French Open victory makes him more dangerous.

“He’s much more dangerous because he’s freed himself from that internal and external pressure he was under,” said Corretja.

“We might see a more aggressive Zverev, calmer in press conferences. I think he was feeling overwhelmed. Let’s see what happens with Djokovic.

“He didn’t arrive in Paris in the form he needed, but he thinks Wimbledon is where he has the best chance. And if he has this feeling, watch out, watch out.

“There’s a range of players who all play well and who could make things difficult for him. If he drops sets before the quarter-finals, it’s dangerous because it will take its toll physically.”

READ NEXT: Wimbledon: John McEnroe says Jannik Sinner’s physical issues are ‘mainly mental’

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