Novak Djokovic continues to defy Father Time. At 38, the Serbian star is showing no signs of slowing down on the biggest stages of tennis. On Thursday, he secured a commanding 6–3, 6–2, 6–0 win over Great Britain’s Daniel Evans to book his spot in the third round of Wimbledon and reached several historic milestones in the process.
Facing the World No. 154, Djokovic didn’t underestimate his opponent. Evans, a crafty player on grass and a fan favorite at Centre Court, posed a unique challenge. But Djokovic was dialed in from the first point, executing a near-flawless match to advance without dropping a set.
At 38 years and 39 days old, Djokovic became the youngest player since Jimmy Connors in 1991 to win a 6–0 set at Wimbledon. Connors achieved the feat at age 39 in a first-round win over Finland’s Veli Paloheimo.
The win also marked Djokovic’s 99th career victory at Wimbledon, placing him second all-time in men’s singles wins at the All England Club. Only Roger Federer, with 105, has more.
Djokovic reflects on Centre Court win
Despite the gap in rankings, Djokovic knew a matchup against a British player at Wimbledon would bring unique pressure and intensity, especially under the spotlight of Centre Court.
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“I think everyone knew that it was going to be a special atmosphere today on the court,” Djokovic said in his post-match interview. “Obviously a Brit in Britain is never easy to face. ‘Tricky’ is maybe not a great word, but he’s a good quality player who possesses a lot of talent, a lot of touch”.
“For the grass, where the ball stays very low with his slice, he can be causing a lot of trouble to you if you are not on top of your game, which I think I was, to be honest, from the very beginning,” he added.
Passing Federer in another Wimbledon record
Djokovic’s win over Evans wasn’t just about reaching 99 match wins—it also marked his 19th third-round appearance at Wimbledon, the most in the Open Era for men’s singles, moving him ahead of Federer in that category.
“It means that I’ve been playing quite a long time,” Djokovic said with a smile. “Nineteen times. That’s a great stat. It’s probably almost as much as Sinner and Alcaraz have as years in their life, but I still enjoy it”.
“This sport has given me so much… Wimbledon remains the most special tournament in my heart, the one that I always dreamed of winning when I was a kid, so any history made here is obviously extra special for me,” he added.
