At Wimbledon, Djokovic Always Feels Like He Has A Chance

Novak Djokovic
Novak Djokovic (photo: Wimbledon video)

WIMBLEDON/WASHINGTON, July 2, 2025 (by Michael Dickens)

While nearly two dozen seeds – including Alexander Zverev, Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula – fell in the first round of the Wimbledon Championships, one who didn’t was men’s No. 6 seed Novak Djokovic. He avoided the fate of being upset in the opening round — but it wasn’t easy.

The 38-year-old seven-time Wimbledon champion and winner of 24 majors overall was pushed to four sets by No. 41 Alexandre Muller of France on Centre Court. However, neither a stomach bug nor Muller could stop Djokovic from earning his 99th career win at Wimbledon, which tied him with Serena Williams for third-most victories all time at the All England Club, behind Martina Navratilova’s 120 and Roger Federer’s 105.

Djokovic prevailed over Muller, 6-1, 6-7 (7), 6-2, 6-2, in three hours and 19 minutes with the roof closed on Centre Court by the end. However, he needed a break, trailing 2-1 in the third set and, again, later in the set, to be administered medication by a tournament physician.

“I went from feeling my absolute best for a set and a half to my absolute worst for about 45 minutes,” Djokovic said during his on-court interview. “Whether it was a stomach bug, I struggled with that, but then the energy kicked back after the doctor’s miracle pills and I managed to finish the match on a good note.”

Djokovic struck 50 winners – including 22 aces – and converted seven of 27 break-point opportunities against Muller. He outpointed his opponent 158-117. Along the way, he benefited from 54 unforced errors by Muller.

With his latest win at Wimbledon, Djokovic improved to 20-0 in opening-round matches at the All England Club, where he’s collected seven of his 24 career Grand Slam titles. Next, he will face 154th-ranked British wild card Daniel Evans on Centre Court Thursday.

“I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t think I have a chance. I think I always have a chance. I think I earned my right to really feel like I can go all the way to the title,” Djokovic said. “I always felt like grass, particularly in the second part of my career, was really the surface where I played my best tennis. So why not do it again?”

Sabalenka edges past Bouzkova, Raducanu next

No. 1 seed Aryna Sabalenka was pushed by 48th-ranked Marie Bouzkova of Czechia, early but fought back to earn a 7-6 (4), 6-4 victory in an hour and 35 minutes to reach the third round. The top-seeded Belarusian improved her win-loss record  this year against opponents ranked outside the Top 20 to a very respectable 29-4 – including 20-4 in the second round of Grand Slams.

Sabalenka powered her way to 40 winners – including five aces – against 18 unforced errors. She dropped just four points on her first serve and won 27 of 34 points at the net. Sabalenka converted two of four break points and outpointed Bouzkova 74-58. To her credit, she’s the only one of the top three seeds remaining in the draw after just three days of the British fortnight, after Americans Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula both lost in the first round on Tuesday.

I don’t want any more upsets in this tournament,” Sabalenka said during her post-match interview. “That was a tough battle. I was super happy to win that.”

Next for Sabalenka in Friday’s third round will be none other than 40th-ranked British darling Emma Raducanu, who advanced with a 6-3, 6-3 victory over 2023 Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova of Czechia, now ranked 73rd, in one hour and 22 minutes to close out play on Centre Court Wednesday evening.

“I played really, really well,” said Raducanu, laughing with delight during her on-court interview. “I knew it was going to be extremely difficult – she’s in form and she’s won this tournament.

“I put my game out there and was really focused the whole way through. I knew I had to be aggressive because Marketa would beat me if I pushed the ball around.”

Raducanu hit 18 winners to offset 21 unforced errors and outpointed Vondrousova 72-54.

She added: “I guess there’s no pressure on me at all in the next round. Aryna is so dominant and has won everything. All I can do is control my side of the court as best as possible.”

Around the All England Club

Courts around the All England Club were covered and fans sought shelter under umbrellas as rain delayed the start of play on Day 3 at Wimbledon Wednesday.

After record-breaking heat on Day 1, as temperatures rose to 91º Fahrenheit ( 33º Celsius) and warm, sunny weather on Tuesday, play was delayed by two hours on outside courts. Play on Centre Court and No. 1 Court began on schedule.

By the end of the day, a total of four second-round men’s singles matches were suspended due to darkness and will be resumed on Thursday afternoon. Among the seeded players, No. 25 seed Felix Auger-Aliassime of Canada and No. 26 seed Alejandro Davidovich Fokina of Spain, will be back on court for a second-straight day.

In addition, two men’s first-round doubles matches and four women’s first-round doubles matches were cancelled from the original Wednesday order of play and will be rescheduled.

• The first match off the court provided Great Britain with a win to celebrate. It was turned in by No. 51 Sonay Kartal, who advanced to the third round with a compact 6-2, 6-2 win over No. 111 Viktoriya Tomova of Bulgaria in 67 minautes on No. 3 Court.

Kartal, who eliminated No. 20 seed Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia in the first round on Monday, hit 23 winners, converted five of six break points and outpointed Tomova 57-37. Next, she will face 118th-ranked French qualifier Diane Parry, who upset No. 12 seed Diana Shnaider of Russia, 6-4, 6-1, in 71 minutes on Court 18.

• Soon after Kartal’s victory, No. 6 seed Madison Keys of the United States was through to the third round following her 6-4, 6-2 win over No. 37 Olga Danilovic of Serbia, in an hour and 15 minutes on No. 2 Court. Keys overcame 23 unforced errors to hit 19 winners and converted four of 13 break points against Danilovic. She outpointed her opponent 71-56 to advance to her eighth-straight major third round. It improved her win-loss record in majors this season to 13-1.

Next, Keys will play No. 104 Laura Siegemund of Germany, who upset No. 29 seed Leylah Fernandez of Canada, 6-2, 6-3, in one hour and 42 minutes on Court 14.

• By the end of the night, almost 10:30 p.m. at the All England Club, American No. 1 Taylor Fritz felt a sense of relief. He had just survived a second consecutive five-set thriller, this time against 6-foot-8-inch Gabriel Diallo of Canada, on No. 1 Court. The match began with the roof open but the final two sets were played with the roof closed and the lights turned on. The fifth-seeded Fritz prevailed over the 40th-ranked Diallo, 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (0), 4-6, 6-3, in three hours and six minutes. It was his third straight day on court  as the fifth set of his previous match, against France’s Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard had been played on Tuesday afternoon after Monday’s curfew suspended the first-round tussle.

• Other Wednesday winners include: Men – No. 2 seed Carlos Alcaraz of Spain, who advanced with a 6-1, 6-4, 6-4 win over 733rd-ranked British qualifier Oliver Tarvet in two hours and 17 minutes on Centre Court; No. 14 seed Andrey Rublev of Russia, who eliminated 320th-ranked South African Lloyd Harris, 6-7 (1), 6-4, 7-6 (5), 6-3, in two hours and 45 minutes on No. 3 Court; No. 17 seed Karen Khachanov of Russia, who beat 144th-ranked Japanese qualifier Shintaro Mochizuki, 1-6, 7-6 (7), 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, in three hours and 39 minutes on Court 18; No. 29 seed Brandon Nakashima of the United States, who defeated No. 71 Bu Yunchaokete of China, 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (1), 6-4, in three hours and 34 minutes on Court 15.

Also, No. 61 Cameron Norrie of Great Britain, who upset No. 12 seed Frances Tiafoe of the United States, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 7-5, in two hours and 56 minutes on No. 1 Court; and No. 73 Mattia Bellucci of Italy, who upset No. 23 seed Jiri Lehecka of Czechia, 7-6 (4), 6-1, 7-5, in two hours and seven minutes on Court 12.

• Other Wednesday winners include: Women – No. 80 Kamilla Rakhimova of Russia, who upset No. 4 seed and last year’s finalist Jasmine Paolini of Italy, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, in two hours and 19 minutes on No. 3 Court; No. 13 seed Amanda Anisimova of the United States, who eliminated No. 71 Renata Zarazua of Mexico, 6-4, 6-3, in 91 minutes on Court 12; No. 14 seed Elina Svitolina of Ukraine, who defeated No. 107 Aliaksandra Sasnovich of Belarus, 6-2, 6-4, in 81 minutes on Court 10; No. 24 seed Elise Mertens of Belgium, who advanced past No. 65 Ann Li of the United States, 6-7 (5), 6-1, 6-2, in two hours and seven minutes on Court 17; No. 30 seed Linda Noskova of Czechia, eliminated No. 61 Eva Lys of Germany, 6-2, 2-6, 6-3, in one hour and minutes on Court 14.

Also, No. 50 Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova of Russia, who beat No. 31 seed Ashlyn Krueger of the United States, 7-6 (4), 6-4, in one hour and 43 minutes on Court 5; No. 102 Cristina Bucsa of Spain, who upset No. 22 seed Donna Vekic of Croatia, 6-1, 6-3, in 70 minutes on Court 17; and No. 110 Dalma Galfi of Hungary, who upset No. 21 seed Beatriz Haddad Maia of Brazil, 7-6 (7), 6-1, in one hour and 43 minutes on Court 7.

• Men’s doubles No. 1 seeds Marcelo Arevalo of El Salvador and Mate Pavic of Croatia won their opening-round match over Roberto Carballes Baena of Spain and Laslo Djere of Serbia, 6-4, 6-2, in 61 minutes on Court 17.

Wednesday’s Wimbledon results

Thursday’s Wimbledon order of play

By the numbers

With four British men competing in the men’s singles on Wednesday – Cameron Norrie, Oliver Tarvet, Billy Harris and Arthur Fery – coupled with three other British men who will play their second-round singles matches on Thursday, this year’s Wimbledon has the joint-highest number of British men in the second round of the Championships in the Open Era. There were also seven British players in the men’s singles second round in 1968, 1969, 1976, 1996 and 1997.

The highest number of British men in the third round of Wimbledon in the Open Era? Four, in 1997 with Tim Henman, Mark Petchey, Andrew Richardson and Greg Rusedski all reaching the third round.

“Quotable …”

“I would say more mental, probably. It’s funny, I feel very alone out there at times. I struggle mentally. I’ve been saying that since after the Australian Open. … I’m trying to find way, trying to find ways to kind of get out of this hole. I keep kind of finding myself back in it iin a way.

“Yeah, I don’t know. I feel, generally speaking, quite alone in life at the moment, which is a feeling that is not very nice.”

– World No. 3 Alexander Zverev of Germany, who lost his first-round match in five sets to Arthur Rinderknech of France on Tuesday, during his post-match news conference.

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