# Djokovic ties Federer, and French tennis vanishes from Wimbledon

> On July 3, 2026, on Wimbledon's legendary Centre Court, Novak Djokovic watched his French opponent Arthur Rinderknech tumble toward the net after

- Author: Maxime Marquette
- Publisher: MadMax (https://mad-max.co)
- Section: Profile
- Published: 2026-07-05
- Canonical URL: https://mad-max.co/en/article/djokovic-egale-federer-et-le-tennis-francais-disparait-de-wimbledon

## Introduction: a net-side dive that will go down in history

### A spectacular match point on Centre Court

On **July 3, 2026**, on **Wimbledon's** legendary **Centre Court**, **Novak Djokovic** watched his **French** opponent **Arthur Rinderknech** tumble toward the net after a volley, and thought to himself, according to **ESPN**: **"Stay down, please."** The Frenchman stayed down, and the **39-year-old** Serb dove to punch a winning backhand volley on match point, sealing a **7-5, 6-4, 1-6, 7-6 (4)** victory at the end of a tense third-round match.

This **victory** was not just any win: it was **Djokovic's** **105th** singles win in the **tournament's** history, matching the men's **record** previously held by his great rival **Roger Federer**. A number that, on its own, sums up two decades of dominance on London grass.

*Watching Djokovic dive at the net at 39, with the same intensity as in his early days, reminds me why this sport keeps its unique ability to surprise us, even when we think we have already seen everything from its greatest legends.*

## A number that speaks to pure longevity

### One hundred five wins, two legends, a single mark

According to the **Straits Times**, this **105th win** now puts **Novak Djokovic** in a perfect tie with **Roger Federer** atop the all-time list of men's singles wins at **Wimbledon**. Only **Martina Navratilova**, with **120 wins** in women's singles, still sits ahead of both men on the tournament's overall all-time list.

**Djokovic** himself savored the moment with humility and humor, saying according to **ESPN**: **"To be able to mark history in this sport is a huge honor and a huge privilege,"** before mischievously adding that he would propose **"a match between him and Roger for win number 106,"** a joke that underscores the mutual respect between the two champions despite years of intense rivalry.

*That little joke about a match against Federer for win number 106 says a lot about the maturity of an athlete long seen as the third man of a trio, behind Federer and Nadal in the public's heart, before eventually surpassing almost both of them on the record books.*

## The next opponent opens the door to a solo record

### Roman Safiullin, the next step toward standing alone in history

According to the **Straits Times**, one more win for **Djokovic** against Russian qualifier **Roman Safiullin** would move him alone into second place on **Wimbledon's** all-time list, just behind **Martina Navratilova** and ahead of **Roger Federer** for good. It would be the first time in his career he held this record outright, without sharing it with his former Swiss rival.

The Serb is also chasing the men's record of **eight** **Wimbledon** singles titles, currently held by **Federer**, a goal that, according to **Wikipedia**, would make him the first player in history to win a twenty-fifth career **Grand Slam** title.

*I have to admit some uncertainty here: no one can say for sure whether Djokovic's body, at 39, will hold up over two weeks of a tournament. But betting against him in recent years has rarely been a wise decision.*

## A French opponent who sold his skin dearly

### Rinderknech, the surprise that shook Centre Court

**Arthur Rinderknech** gave up nothing easily in this third-round match, even winning the third set **6-1** before falling in a fourth set that went all the way to a tiebreak, according to **Punto de Break**. The French player, described as **"dangerous"** by the **Straits Times**, pushed the Serb to his absolute limit before falling **7-6 (4)** in the deciding set.

This performance from **Rinderknech**, while not enough to pull off the upset, confirms his potential on grass, a surface where he had already caused a sensation the previous year by eliminating **Alexander Zverev** in the first round, according to **The Hindu**.

*Losing to the greatest living legend of men's tennis, after leading two sets to one, is nothing close to an underperformance. Rinderknech can leave this tournament with his head held high, even if the final score does not tell the whole story of the fight he put up.*

## No Frenchman in the fourth round, a void that raises questions

### A collective elimination within 48 hours

**Arthur Rinderknech's** loss marked the end of French presence in men's singles at **Wimbledon 2026**, following the successive eliminations of several other French players, including **Valentin Royer**, beaten by **Alexander Zverev** according to **The Hindu**. No French player, man or woman, therefore qualified for the round of sixteen this year.

This total absence at the round-of-sixteen stage fits into a broader trend observed over several seasons at **Grand Slam** tournaments, where French presence in the advanced stages of major competitions has gradually thinned out compared to previous decades.

*Watching French tennis disappear this early from a tournament as prestigious as Wimbledon should set off alarm bells within the sport's governing bodies in France. This is not an isolated accident, it is a symptom that deserves a real diagnosis.*

## A generation struggling to break through on grass

### The paradox of a French tennis pool deep in talent but poor in results

French men's tennis actually has a relatively large and competitive pool of players on tour, but it visibly struggles to turn that depth into meaningful results on the particular surface of London grass. The combination of a short grass-court preparation calendar and increasingly tough international competition makes the task harder for French players every year.

This reality contrasts with past decades, when French players more regularly reached the quarterfinals or semifinals of major tournaments, a reminder that sporting dominance in elite tennis is never automatically sustained from one generation to the next.

*I do not claim to hold the solution to this structural decline of French tennis on grass. But I know how to recognize a recurring problem when it repeats year after year, and this one deserves more than a collective shrug.*

## The broader context of an eventful Wimbledon 2026

### Surprises and confirmations in the men's draw

**Wimbledon 2026's** men's draw was also marked by the early elimination of several seeded players, including fourth seed **Ben Shelton**, according to **The Hindu**, which opened up a clearer path for players like **Alexander Zverev**, positioned in the half of the draw opposite **Djokovic's**. This setup is fueling speculation about a potentially unprecedented final if both men continue their runs.

Meanwhile, **Djokovic** continues a remarkable streak of **21 consecutive years** without a first-round loss at **Wimbledon**, according to **Wikipedia**, becoming in the process the first player of the Open era to win more than **80** combined first-round matches across every **Grand Slam** tournament.

*A 21-year streak without a first-round loss at a Grand Slam tournament goes beyond the normal statistical bounds of elite sport. This is the kind of record that will probably never be matched, let alone broken, by any future player.*

## Federer's shadow, a rival turned friend

### A rivalry transformed into mutual admiration

The relationship between **Novak Djokovic** and **Roger Federer** has changed considerably since the Swiss star's retirement in **2022**. What was, for more than a decade, one of the most intense rivalries in the history of sport has turned into publicly displayed mutual respect, as shown by **Djokovic's** joke about a fictional match for win **number 106**.

This kind of moment, where a still-active athlete humorously pays tribute to a retired rival by invoking a shared record, illustrates the maturity of a generation of champions who have gradually learned to celebrate their own achievements without belittling the opponents who helped shape their own greatness.

*This late-blooming camaraderie between two men who fought each other in epic battles for twenty years touches me in a particular way. Elite sport does not need permanent hostility to produce greatness; sometimes, mutual respect tells just as powerful a story.*

## Conclusion: between a living legend and a national question

### Djokovic writes history while France searches for answers

This **Wimbledon 2026** third round will be remembered as a double-edged moment for French tennis: on one side, the pride of watching one of its players push **Novak Djokovic** to a fourth-set tiebreak in pursuit of one of the most prestigious records in world tennis; on the other, the cold reality of a total wipeout of French colors before the round of sixteen had even begun.

For **Djokovic**, history keeps being written at a pace few would have expected from a **39-year-old** player, with an imminent showdown against **Roman Safiullin** that could push him alone into second place on the tournament's all-time list.

### What this moment reveals about the state of world tennis

This contrast between **Djokovic's** exceptional **longevity** and French tennis's incomplete generational renewal illustrates the enduring difficulty of predicting how a demanding individual sport will evolve, where experience and physical preparation can still triumph over youth, as this extraordinary Serbian champion demonstrates every season.

*I close this piece with one certainty and one open question. The certainty: Djokovic will go down as one of the greatest athletes in the history of sport, no matter how this tournament ends. The question: how much longer will French tennis have to wait before finding a representative truly capable of shaking up this sport's giants on London grass?*

### An appointment not to be missed in the coming days

**Djokovic's** next match against **Roman Safiullin** promises to draw even greater worldwide attention, with every additional win for the Serb bringing him closer to potentially finishing his career as the most decorated player in the history of men's tennis on London grass. Tennis fans, French or not, would do well to follow what happens next closely.

**By Maxime Marquette, columnist**

## Columnist's transparency note

### Editorial stance

I am not a journalist but a **columnist and analyst**. My expertise lies in observing and analysing the geopolitical, economic and strategic dynamics that shape our world. My work is to take political strategies apart, to understand global economic movements, to put the decisions of international actors in context and to offer analytical perspectives on the changes that are redefining our societies.

I do not claim the cold objectivity of traditional journalism, which stops at reporting facts. **I claim analytical clarity**, rigorous interpretation and a deep understanding of the complex issues that concern us all. My role is to give meaning to the facts, to place them in their historical and strategic context, and to offer a critical reading of events.

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**Primary source families** used by the publication, when the story has them: official statements from governments and international institutions, public statements by political leaders, reports from intergovernmental organisations, dispatches from recognised international news agencies.

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## Sources

### Primary sources

- ESPN — Djokovic wins 105th match at Wimbledon to equal Federer's record, July 3, 2026

- Wikipedia — 2026 Wimbledon Championships, men's singles

### Secondary sources

- Straits Times — Djokovic matches Federer's record with 105th Wimbledon win, July 4, 2026

- Punto de Break — Djokovic beats Rinderknech at Wimbledon 2026, July 3, 2026

- The Hindu — Swiatek and Zverev cruise into the round of sixteen, July 2, 2026

- NewsCord — Djokovic beats Rinderknech to tie Federer's Wimbledon record, July 4, 2026

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Source: Maxime Marquette, MadMax. When citing, name the author and link https://mad-max.co/en/article/djokovic-egale-federer-et-le-tennis-francais-disparait-de-wimbledon