Novak Djokovic 3-1 Arthur Rinderknech, reaches Round of 16 at Wimbledon 2026

Friends, we went to a tiebreak! Everything was decided in the tiebreak. Djokovic was the favorite, but he couldn't afford to get complacent; his opponent had been aggressive and had played very well.

Djokovic! He guaranteed himself a tiebreak. The Serb would decide everything in a tiebreak if necessary. For Arthur Rinderknech, it was crucial to hold his serve and avoid a repeat of the first set.

Arthur Rinderknech didn't let the pressure get to him. He leveled the score, and it was his chance to break Djokovic's serve. The Frenchman was dreaming of a fifth set. Novak Djokovic knew that if he went to a tiebreak, he had a better chance.

Now the pressure was on the Frenchman. Djokovic was up 5-4. He had to take advantage of his opponent serving to try and break him and win the match. Arthur Rinderknech had served well, but now he couldn't afford to make a mistake.

Arthur Rinderknech leveled the score at 4-4. The Frenchman was constantly receiving instructions from his coach, keeping a cool head and focused on the game. Djokovic couldn't rush things; it was all very even.

Novak Djokovic took a 3-2 lead. The Serbian increased his percentage of points won on his first serve, and also significantly improved on the points he lost due to unforced errors; this led to his improvement.

A quick service game for Novak Djokovic! The Serb started playing like he did in the first two sets, short points and not giving his opponent a chance. The key was not to play so much on the second serve.

Everything was tied in the fourth set. Arthur Rinderknech also needed to win the first point of this set, because Djokovic had shaken things up and looked much better. The match was very close and the outcome was completely uncertain.

I needed it! Novak Djokovic started the fourth set by winning the first game. The Serb needed to get into the match, forget what happened, and know that he had a one-set advantage. His opponent was playing with confidence.

In 30 minutes, Arthur Rinderknech took the third set 6-1. It was a complete masterclass from the Frenchman, who came out playing his best tennis to dominate Novak Djokovic. The Serb was not at his best; his game had been shattered.

Djokovic didn't want to go down without a win. The Serb earned his first point in the third set, leaving him down 5-1. The Frenchman would have a good opportunity to close the gap and put some pressure on the match.

Arthur Rinderknech confirmed the break again and went up 5-0. Barring anything unexpected, the third set was already decided. Djokovic gradually fell behind and couldn't find any answers in his game to try and turn the score around.

Arthur Rinderknech! The Frenchman broke serve for the second time in the second set. The lead was now 4-0. The Serb looked physically exhausted, tired, and very slow. Djokovic needed a change of pace.

Break confirmed! Excellent performance from Arthur Rinderknech. The Frenchman finally found his rhythm with his serve, allowing him to rack up a substantial 3-point lead.

Arthur Rinderknech broke! The Frenchman broke Novak Djokovic's serve for the second time in the match, but this was the first time he had done it with an advantage. We were up 2-0. The game was getting interesting.

The first game of the third set went to Arthur. The Frenchman needed his confidence to be at its peak. He had to play every point as if it were his last. Novak Djokovic had to come out looking to take control of the match from the start.

The former world number one took the second set in 50 minutes. Novak Djokovic was very intelligent, withstanding pressure from his opponent and ultimately looking the better player. The Frenchman had opportunities, but failed to capitalize on them.

Djokovic was putting pressure on Rinderknech. The Serb was about to win the second set. Novak had had a high percentage of points won on his serve, which prevented his opponent from creating any danger with his backhand.

Arthur Rinderknech enjoyed a comfortable service game for the first time in the second set. This was crucial for him to regain his confidence and pursue the utopian miracle of breaking a highly inspired Djokovic.

Novak Djokovic held serve again and was now on track to win the second set. The Frenchman had had no chances; his opponent hadn't given him any opportunities to mount a comeback and get back into the game.

Break confirmed! Djokovic went up 3-1. It was the first time the Serb took the lead in the match; he had only done so previously to win a set. It was a crucial moment for him to continue his run.

Novak Djokovic broke! The Serb set the tone right from the start of the second set. The former world number one was playing very well. The Frenchman needed his serve to hold, but his opponent's pressure proved too much.

Djokovic survived. The Serb saved a break point, but ultimately held his serve. The former world number one couldn't allow his opponent to gain confidence; this was not only dangerous, but it also wore him down considerably.

The first game of the second set went to Arthur Rinderknech. The Frenchman needed to start winning to gain confidence. He had narrowly missed out on the first set. Now it was time to show physical and mental strength.

The Serb took the first set of the match in 50 minutes. Djokovic looked aggressive in the key moments, despite losing the advantage he had gained in the fifth game. The Frenchman was daring and tried to play one-on-one, but ran out of steam.

Djokovic broke the Frenchman's serve. Novak would serve for the first set and begin his march towards the round of 16. A good game from the former world number one; he looked aggressive and dynamic!

The set was more alive than ever! Novak Djokovic leveled the score and didn't let his opponent pressure him. The Serb leveled the score. Now it was Rinderknech who had to hold his serve to secure the tiebreak.

Now all the pressure was on Djokovic. The Serb had to hold his serve if he wanted to stay alive in the first set. Now the Frenchman had to step up his game and be more aggressive to have any chance of breaking.

Djokovic was now tied 4-4. The Serb was serving very well, with a high percentage of success, which allowed him to be neck and neck with his opponent. His problem lay in his return; that was where he couldn't find his rhythm.

Arthur Rinderknech broke! The Frenchman broke Djokovic's serve and leveled the score at 3-3. Novak couldn't hold his serve and consolidate the break. Quite an exciting match.

Djokovic broke! You couldn't give the former world number one a chance, because he would destroy you. The Frenchman had a lot of doubts about his serve and looked completely unrecognizable at that moment.

Djokovic responded! We were tied 2-2. Novak played his opponent's game, serving quickly and looking for winners. Short points. The Frenchman had been instructed by his coach to play a step further forward.

Rinderknech continued his good run. He had a high percentage of points won in the first set. Djokovic was only just finding his rhythm on the return. The match progressed quite quickly, and we didn't see any long rallies.

Djokovic leveled the score. The Serb also held serve to love. So far, we were just finding our rhythm and momentum. It would be a first set of big servers; we would have few break point opportunities because both players are known for their strong serving.

The Frenchman took the first game of the match. A comfortable win and a love game. Djokovic needed to be very careful, because his opponent had gained confidence in these kinds of matches against top players. A very even match!

• Rinderknech had a 13-14 win-loss record in the 2026 season
• Rinderknech had a 5-5 win-loss record at Wimbledon
• Rinderknech won 42% of matches played on grass courtsRinderknech had a 13-14 win-loss record in the 2026 season

• Djokovic had a 11-4 win-loss record in the 2026 season
• Djokovic had a 104-13 win-loss record at Wimbledon
• Djokovic won 85% of matches played on grass courtsDjokovic had a 11-4 win-loss record in the 2026 season

• Rinderknech, a right-handed player standing at 1.96m, aged 30, held the 28th position in the ATP rankings with 1683 points.
• On the other side of the net, we had the legendary N. Djokovic, also right-handed, with a height of 1.88m and age 39.
• Djokovic was positioned at 8th in the ATP table with 3760 points, boasting a career-high rank of 1.
• In the last 5 matches, Djokovic had shown impressive form with an 80% win rate.

Djokovic struck 27 aces (13.5 per match). Rinderknech managed to score 53 aces (26.5 per match). Djokovic won 82% of the points on his first serve. He was extremely effective on his second serve to win 58% of the points. On the other side, Rinderknech won 83% of the points behind his first serve. He had a solid display on his second serve to win 60% of the points.

Both Djokovic and Rinderknech played 2 matches. Both players lost a set in the event. Novak Djokovic dropped 1 set, while Arthur Rinderknech lost 1 set. Talking about their workload, both players played the same amount of sets, 7. However, Djokovic played 11 games less than Rinderknech. Djokovic scored 119 winners (54% of the total points). On the other side, the French player managed to score 134 winners (53%).