Djokovic breaks Federer's Wimbledon record with 106th match win

Novak Djokovic has etched his name further into Wimbledon history, breaking Roger Federer's long-standing record for the most match victories at the All England Club. Djokovic achieved his 106th match win by defeating Roman Safiullin in the fourth round, surpassing Federer's previous record of 105 wins.

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Survive to thrive, that’s how I feel. So hopefully the thriving part is coming.

The seven-time Wimbledon champion secured the victory with a 7-6 (6), 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 scoreline. This win also marks Djokovic's 17th quarterfinal appearance at Wimbledon, placing him just one shy of Federer's record in that category. He remains in contention for his eighth Wimbledon title, a feat that would bring him closer to his former rival's Grand Slam total.

Djokovic's path to the record was not without its challenges. He faced early pressure from Safiullin, saving two set points in the first set and being broken early in the third. The Serbian star received a warning for an audible obscenity and drew boos from the crowd after an on-court outburst in frustration. In his on-court interview, Djokovic apologized for these "outbursts, the meltdowns."

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I don’t get to feel inferior from the back of court with too many players, to be honest, throughout my career. Today it was one of those days where I didn’t want to stay in the rally for too long. So I had to mix things up. And it worked.

Acknowledging the difficult match and the need to adapt, Djokovic noted his strategy to play more at the net than usual. He explained, "I didn’t want to stay in the rally for too long. So I had to mix things up. And it worked." Despite the win and the record, Djokovic expressed a sentiment of needing to "survive to thrive," indicating his awareness that his performance must elevate as the tournament progresses.

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I had a few of those today.