Wimbledon 2026 LIVE: Djokovic equals Federer record and receives unexpected boost in bid for title

4 Jul 2026 • 12:02 AM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

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Wimbledon 2026 LIVE: Djokovic equals Federer record and receives unexpected boost in bid for title

Novak Djokovic won his 105th Wimbledon match to equal Roger Federer’s men’s singles record and continue his bid for a 25th grand slam singles title.

The 39-year-old had to overcome an excellent performance from the big-serving 26th seed Arthur Rinderknech, winning 7-5 6-4 1-6 7-6, to reach the fourth round after being granted his wish to play during the day on Centre Court.

The seven-time champion then received a boost by learning that potential fourth-round foe Joao Fonseca, who defeated Djokovic at last month’s French Open, had been knocked out by qualifier Roman Safiullin.

World No 1 Aryna Sabalenka meets former Jelena Ostapenko in what could be an explosive third-round clash on Centre Court, after four-time major winner Naomi Osaka continued her increasingly impressive campaign by beating former world No 8 Daria Kasatkina 6-1 6-3.

And there are plenty of Brits in doubles action, albeit none in singles after Arthur Fery became the only Brit in either the men’s or women’s draw to reach the third round with a four-set win over Otto Virtanen on Thursday.

Follow latest scores and updates from Wimbledon, below

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Joao Fonseca stunned by qualifier to boost Novak Djokovic’s Wimbledon path

Wimbledon 2026: Day five order of play and tournament schedule

Wimbledon LIVE: Latest tennis scores and updates

  • Novak Djokovic equals Roger Federer's Wimbledon record of 105 wins to reach fourth round
  • Djokovic defeats superb Arthur Rinderknech 7-5 6-4 1-6 6-4 in two hours, XX minutes
  • Djokovic overcomes an inspired Rinderknech in challenge third and fourth sets
  • Joao Fonseca stunned by qualifier to boost Djokovic’s Wimbledon path
  • Naomi Osaka beats Daria Kasatkina to reach Wimbledon last-16 for first time
  • Jannik Sinner continues title defence against Jenson Brooksby
  • Serena and Venus Williams not on schedule as doubles campaign in doubt
  • Arthur Fery is last Brit standing after overcoming Otto Virtanen

Novak Djokovic challenges Roger Federer to play for win number 106

17:02 , Jamie Braidwood

After levelling Roger Federer’s men’s singles record, Djokovic proposes a play-off for win number 106.

Before then, though, Djokovic will play qualifier Roman Safiullin in the fourth round.

That’s after Safiullin defeated Joao Fonseca in a shock upset earlier today.

Novak Djokovic into Wimbledon fourth round - and equals Roger Federer's record

16:58 , Jamie Braidwood

Novak Djokovic has a new victory dance. And he has reason to celebrate - he is into the fourth round, keeping his bid for the 25th title alive. With his 105th win at Wimbledon, he has drawn level with Roger Federer.

Djokovic accepts he needed a “flawless” tiebreak to beat Arthur Rinderknech, who he credits for an excellent performance. “It was a really tiring, really close match. Happy to overcome it. In the tiebreak, I had to find a way.”

GAME, SET AND MATCH! Novak Djokovic 7-5, 6-4, 1-6, 6-6 Arthur Rinderknech

16:54 , Jamie Braidwood

A DIVING VOLLEY FROM DJOKOVIC TO SEAL IT!

Incredible point! Incredible battle! It leaves both men face down on the grass! Djokovic went for the drop shot, Rinderknech reached it, but there was Djokovic to lob him on the dive!

Djokovic falls into Rinderknech’s arms. He made him work hard for that!

TIEBREAK! Novak Djokovic 7-5, 6-4, 1-6, 6-6 Arthur Rinderknech

16:53 , Jamie Braidwood

An ace from Rinderknech edges him ahead. Djokovic returns the favour, with back-to-back aces! If he wins either of the next two points, he will have match point...

And Rinderknech blinks on the forehand down the line! Out! It will be two match points for Djokovic, the first on the Rinderknech serve!

TIEBREAK! Novak Djokovic 7-5, 6-4, 1-6, 6-6 Arthur Rinderknech

16:49 , Jamie Braidwood

Chance for Djokovic! The forehand crosscourt was clean, opening up the court for the backhand into the same corner. But he pushes wide! 3-3.

TIEBREAK! Novak Djokovic 7-5, 6-4, 1-6, 6-6 Arthur Rinderknech

16:47 , Jamie Braidwood

With Djokovic at full stretch, it takes a cool Rinderknech to put a series of overheads away. Brilliant forehand crosscourt from Djokovic on the run, edging ahead 3-2.

Novak Djokovic 7-5, 6-4, 1-6, 6-6 Arthur Rinderknech

16:44 , Jamie Braidwood

That’s a superb game from Rinderknech to get into the tiebreak. Holding to love, with a couple of outstanding volleys at the net.

Can he force a fifth...

Novak Djokovic 7-5, 6-4, 1-6, 6-5 Arthur Rinderknech*

16:40 , Jamie Braidwood

What are the odds? Djokovic and Rinderknech exchange dead net-cords on back-to-back points.

Djokovic looks up to the sky and gives his thanks, but he looks like he’s running out of ideas as he puts a drop shot into the net.

Djokovic, though, returns to the drop shot on the very nice point, then fires the ace.

He gets through to the tiebreak at least. Can Rinderknech make it there?

 (PA)

*Novak Djokovic 7-5, 6-4, 1-6, 5-5 Arthur Rinderknech

16:34 , Jamie Braidwood

There have been times when Rinderknech has toyed with Djokovic today! He races up to the drop shot and greets with a clever angled pass, then asks the crowd for more.

Djokovic goes long on the return. 5-5.

Novak Djokovic 7-5, 6-4, 1-6, 5-4 Arthur Rinderknech*

16:29 , Jamie Braidwood

Almost very good from Rinderknech, as he pulled Djokovic to the net and then attempted the lob, narrowly going long. For such a big player, his touch today on the grass has been excellent.

Djokovic catches the line with a second serve. Over to Rinderknech now to serve to stay in the match.

 (Getty)

*Novak Djokovic 7-5, 6-4, 1-6, 4-4 Arthur Rinderknech

16:25 , Jamie Braidwood

Djokovic lands a forehand crosscourt winner and his fans sense that this could be the moment as he edges to 15-30, but Rinderknech replies with the serve-volley, then a big ace down the T.

That could be one of the points of the tournament! Djokovic somehow kept it alive with a half-volley pick-up, that landed in. Rinderknech ran back and attacked Djokovic again, as he points to his ear as Djokovic hits out.

Novak Djokovic 7-5, 6-4, 1-6, 4-3 Arthur Rinderknech*

16:19 , Jamie Braidwood

Three aces in a row from Rinderknech. Djokovic responds by finding the edges of the lines on serve. The big Frenchman had a fall while chasing down a Djokovic shot out wide, and took a few seconds to get to his feet. But he looks to be OK as he head into the closing stages of the fourth.

*Novak Djokovic 7-5, 6-4, 1-6, 2-2 Arthur Rinderknech

16:13 , Jamie Braidwood

Up 15-30 on the Djokovic serve, Rinderknech slips at a costly time and Djokovic closes out the game with back-to-back aces.

Jannik Sinner now leads Jenson Brooksby by two sets on Court No1, but potential fourth-round opponent Rafael Jodar now trails qualifier Shintaro Mochizuki by two sets to one.

On Court No3, meanwhile, eighth seed Daniil Medvedev is two sets down to Jan Lennard Struff, after two tiebreaks go the German’s way.

 (Getty)

*Novak Djokovic 7-5, 6-4, 1-6, 2-2 Arthur Rinderknech

16:08 , Jamie Braidwood

Djokovic applauds as Rinderknech produces a half-volley winner / drop shot of his own. The level of third-round match has been very high, and it would be interesting if Rinderknech keeps serving like this and gets through to a tiebreak. He looked buried 30 minutes ago but he’s carrying real belief now.

Novak Djokovic 7-5, 6-4, 1-6, 2-1 Arthur Rinderknech*

16:04 , Jamie Braidwood

Djokovic’s young children are shouting in support of their father from his players’ box. They sense he needs a little lift here to get over the line!

Djokovic, on the half-volley, plays a stunning drop shot form the baseline. He then fires the ace to hold to love.

Novak Djokovic 7-5, 6-4, 1-6, 1-0 Arthur Rinderknech*

15:56 , Jamie Braidwood

Rinderknech made 20 winners to just six errors in the second set, too, but paid the price for his first serve percentage dropping just to juts 55%.

Djokovic overcomes a double fault on the opening point to hold, knowing there is still work to do.

THIRD SET! *Novak Djokovic 7-5 6-4 1-6 Arthur Rinderknech

15:52 , Jamie Braidwood

That was pretty incredible from Arthur Rinderknech, the 26th seed, as he wins the third set 6-1!

He hit 13 winners to just two errors, including seven aces. In total, he won 26 points of 36 in the set.

Maybe Djokovic checked out of it early. He still holds the lead and knows one more set is enough to reach the last-16.

 (Reuters)

BREAK! *Novak Djokovic 7-5 6-4 0-5 Arthur Rinderknech

15:44 , Jamie Braidwood

Suddenly Rinderknech is playing out of his mind! His level was pretty good at the start of the second set, but he’s increased it now despite the big hole he’s in.

A scorching forehand winner is followed by a double fault from Djokovic. On break point, Rinderknech hit three lines in a row, as Djokovic eventually missed.

And he’s just belted a string of 137mph serves to hold to love.

5-0 in the third!

 (Reuters)

*Novak Djokovic 7-5 6-4 0-3 Arthur Rinderknech

15:37 , Jamie Braidwood

Rinderknech, having settled following that late second-set di, consolidates the break. Work to do for Djokovic to get out of here in two hours.

 (AP)

BREAK! Novak Djokovic 7-5 6-4 0-2 Arthur Rinderknech*

15:34 , Jamie Braidwood

A slight dip from Djokovic at the start of the third set, and Rinderknech takes advantage! The Frenchman pulls off an excellent drop shot and a scrambling Djokovic can only flick it into the net.

FIRST SET! Jannik Sinner leads Jenson Brooksby

15:26 , Jamie Braidwood

The World No 1 converts the only break of the opening set to lead the American.

Sinner’s possible next opponent Rafael Jodar has lost the second set to qualifier Shintaro Mochizuki, and trails by a break in the third.

 (Getty)

Novak Djokovic 7-5 6-4 Arthur Rinderknech*

15:21 , Jamie Braidwood

Djokovic tightens his grip on Rinderknech and moves a set away from the fourth round, sealing the set with an ace!

He only required one hour and 38 minutes to beat Stefanos Tsitsipas in the round two.

He’s just gone past that mark, but if he finishes the Frenchman off in three he’ll have another quick win under his belt.

 (Getty)

*Novak Djokovic 7-5 5-4 Arthur Rinderknech

15:17 , Jamie Braidwood

Rinderknech’s level dropped suddenly following the break. A couple of loose forehands forces him to defend 0-30, then a ball bounces low on the baseline and his backhand finds the net.

Two set points. Rinderknech fires an ace to save the first, then another on the second! He battles on and forces Djokovic to serve it out.

 (Reuters)

Novak Djokovic 7-5 5-3 Arthur Rinderknech*

15:10 , Jamie Braidwood

Djokovic moves a game away from the set. A couple of wild forehands from Rinderknech moves the seven-time champion a step closer.

Wimbledon 2026: Jannik Sinner underway against Jenson Brooksby

15:02 , Jamie Braidwood

Today at Wimbledon we have the rare sight of Novak Djokovic and Jannik Sinner playing at the same time but on different courts. Sinner, the defending champion, has been moved to Court No 1 for his match against American Jenson Brooksby. It’s on serve midway through the first set.

Sinner, if he wins, looks likely to play Spain’s Rafael Jodar in the fourth round.

 (Getty)

BREAK! *Novak Djokovic 7-5 2-1 Arthur Rinderknech

14:53 , Jamie Braidwood

A big error from Rinderknech to allow a looping return from Djokovic to drop in, thinking it was landing long. It’s followed by a double fault from the Frenchman, with Djokovic producing another outstanding point to stretch the court to its limits and bring up two break points.

Rinderknech saves, and the big serve appears to be getting him out of trouble, but then the forehand breaks down. On the third break point, Djokovic returns well, pushes Rinderknech back, and lands the overhead to get the break in the second.

Novak Djokovic 7-5 1-1 Arthur Rinderknech*

14:45 , Jamie Braidwood

A third lob of the match from Novak Djokovic against the 6ft 5in Arthur Rinderknech. This one also dropped within inches of the baseline.

But then Rinderknech asks for more from the crowd after landing a superb forehand crosscourt winner, and it’s followed by a Djokovic double fault.

And Rinderknech forces break point with a drop shot that trickles over the net. Djokovic saves with a brilliant defensive point.

Rinderknech is playing incredibly well here, catching the lines, and Djokovic is forced to produce a scorching forehand pass.

Rinderknech dived for it, but to no avail. Good match, this!

 (Reuters)

FIRST SET! Novak Djokovic 7-5 Arthur Rinderknech*

14:30 , Jamie Braidwood

Novak Djokovic bows to the crowd after diving to his right, Boris Becker style, and landing the volley! He’s ended up spending more time down on the grass than he would have liked so far, but that was a class moment.

And he quickly wraps up the set after constructing an excellent point and putting away the smash.

Djokovic is enjoying himself, and leads.

Naomi Osaka into the fourth round

14:25 , Flo Clifford

Naomi Osaka looks particularly relaxed and happy with her tennis at the moment, and has been playing ominously well.

She’ll play the winner of Aryna Sabalenka vs Jelena Ostapenko - what a match that is, and what a match it’ll be either way in the fourth round!

Those two are up on Centre Court this afternoon after the conclusion of Djokovic v Rinderknech.

 (Reuters)

BREAK! *Novak Djokovic 6-5 Arthur Rinderknech

14:25 , Jamie Braidwood

Now it’s Djokovic’s turn to put the pressure on. A lovely disguised volley at the net moves him to 0-30, and a Rinderknech error brings two break points. An unforced error from Djokovic on the first! That’s a surprise.

He gets a look at a second serve on the second, through, and pushes Rinderknech wide by catching the line.

 (Getty)

Novak Djokovic 5-5 Arthur Rinderknech*

14:20 , Jamie Braidwood

Rinderknech puts the pressure on and moves two points away from the set, but a lob lands inches long of the baseline! From there, Djokovic responds with a brilliant backhand winner crosscourt

5-5

Naomi Osaka into the fourth round

14:20 , Flo Clifford

“I’m really happy, I’ve actually never won on this court,” Osaka smiles. “I’m really glad to have made a really good memory here, and thank you guys for cheering us on. It was a really big honour for me to play, so thank you.

“I definitely felt really good today, I’ve played a lot of matches on grass for the last two weeks. She played really good as well.

“You tell me,” she says when she’s asked how she feels about her prospects. “I’m trying to take it one day at a time, one point at a time even.

“Can I shout out my box?” she adds. “Thank you for being here. It was really fun to play.”

She says daughter Shai, who celebrated her birthday yesterday, “was kind of bad, we tried to take her to the park, but then she needed time-out, so we’re going to try to take her to the park again today! She blew out her candles and made a wish. I hope her wish is to behave better,” she says with a smile.

Naomi Osaka into the fourth round

14:16 , Flo Clifford

Daria Kasatkina hits a forehand long, and Naomi Osaka is into the fourth round of Wimbledon for the first time!

She has a huge smile on her face as she waves to her team and the crowd. Former quarter-finalist Kasatkina pushed her harder in the second set, but a sloppy service game as she trailed 5-3 was certainly not what she was after at such a crucial point.

Osaka wins 6-1, 6-3.

 (Getty)

*Novak Djokovic 4-5 Arthur Rinderknech

14:14 , Jamie Braidwood

Lobbing a man as tall as Arthur Rinderknech takes some doing but Djokovic has now done it twice. He catches the baseline with another exquisite touch.

Rinderknech’s drop shot is working nciely, though, and the big Frenchman holds too while tagging Djokovic with a body serve that landed out.

Djokovic, down 4-5 , will now serve to stay in the set.

*Novak Djokovic 3-4 Arthur Rinderknech

14:08 , Jamie Braidwood

Now down 4-3, Djokovic has called for another pair of shoes after a number of slips in this first set.

 (PA)

BREAK! Novak Djokovic 3-3 Arthur Rinderknech*

14:04 , Jamie Braidwood

Another slip from Djokovic! This time it’s as Rinderknech plays a series of heavy forehands then drops Djokovic with a clever drop shot.

It brings two break points, after a wonderful forehand winner from Rinderknech earlier in the game. And who saw that coming! Djokovic nets on the forehand and Rinderknech breaks straight back.

 (PA)

BREAK! *Novak Djokovic 3-2 Arthur Rinderknech

13:58 , Jamie Braidwood

An error from Rinderknech on the opening point of the fifth game is followed by a double fault from the Frenchman, bringing up a chance at 0-30.

And then Djokovic clips the net-cord! Well, when things are falling your way... he holds up his hands after the forehand strikes the net and falls dead on the other side.

Three break points.

That’s stunning from Djokovic! He first snaps back a 138mph serve down the T from Rinderknech, then he defends a series of crosscourt forehands.

Djokovic goes for the drop shot, then lobs the towering Rinderknech, who nets!

The Frenchman opened the door with a some errors, Djokovic then got a bit lucky. But that was pure class to close out the break.

 (Getty)

Novak Djokovic 2-2 Arthur Rinderknech*

13:54 , Jamie Braidwood

Rinderknech is throwing in some serve-and-volley, bringing the olds ways back to Centre Court. Djokovic redirects a backhand for a lovely winner down the line and skips through his second service game without losing a point.

Novak Djokovic 1-1 Arthur Rinderknech*

13:47 , Jamie Braidwood

Arthur Rinderknech wins the toss and elects to serve first, and quickly shows why. The Frenchman effortless gets up to 133pmh as he holds to love.

Djokovic may not have the power but he does have the accuracy on serve. A comfortable hold for him too.

There’s a slight concern for Djokovic as he slips on the opening point of the third game. Running to his right, Djokovic’s loses his footing.

He briefly holds his ankle after getting back to his feet.

Naomi Osaka has one foot in the fourth round

13:41 , Flo Clifford

It’s been one-way traffic on No 1 Court as Naomi Osaka has swatted aside Daria Kasatkina in this first set, wrapping it up 6-1.

The four-time slam champion won 28 points to the Australian’s 17 and hit 11 winners to six unforced errors in a lopsided opener.

 (Getty)

Novak Djokovic walks out on Centre Court, into the sunshine

13:36 , Jamie Braidwood

Novak Djokovic wanted an outside match on Centre Court. Well, he’s got one. The sun is shining and the seven-time Wimbledon champion is wearing a cap to shield himself from the afternoon light.

Has the heard the news of Joao Fonseca’s early exit? Perhaps not yet, while Djokovic can’t afford to underestimate the challenge of Arthur Rinderknech, who possesses a big serve and could make life awkward.

But one feels that things are starting to fall into place quite nicely for Djokovic. He will have energy in his legs, having breezed past Stefanos Tsitsipas in the second round on Tuesday night, in what he called a “vintage” performance.

Novak Djokovic bidding to match Roger Federer's Wimbledon record

13:25 , Jamie Braidwood

If Novak Djokovic wins today, he will record his 105th win at Wimbledon, and move level with Roger Federer’s men’s singles record. Djokovic is bidding to move level with Federer’s eight Wimbledon titles.

Arthur Rinderknech could be dangerous, though. The Frenchman is a big server and knocked out Alexander Zverev in the first round last year, beating the third seed in five sets.

 (PA Wire)

Joao Fonseca stunned by qualifier to boost Novak Djokovic’s Wimbledon path

13:22 , Jamie Braidwood

Novak Djokovic will not need to face Joao Fonseca in the fourth round of Wimbledon after the Brazilian teenager was knocked out by qualifier Roman Safiullin.

Djokovic, who plays 25th Arthur Rinderknech on Centre Court this afternoon, was defeated by Fonseca in the third round of the French Open last month.

It was a five-set epic, with Fonseca fighting back and Djokovic losing a match from two sets up for only the second time in his career.

A repeat could have been on the cards in the last-16 of Wimbledon on Sunday, but Fonseca, bidding to reach the Wimbledon fourth round for the first time, will instead be going home.

The 24th seed was stunned in straight sets by the Russian qualifier Safiullin, ranked 132nd in the world.

Image from: Wimbledon 2026 LIVE: Djokovic equals Federer record and receives unexpected boost in bid for title

Joao Fonseca stunned by qualifier to boost Novak Djokovic’s Wimbledon path

Novak Djokovic gets his wish and plays first on Centre Court

13:18 , Jamie Braidwood

Novak Djokovic gets his wish and will play under the sunshine on Centre Court against Arthur Rinderknech, after two matches under the roof and late at night.

“It's just my desire. I'd love to play outdoor Wimbledon grass court match. Haven't had a chance so far. So let's see.”

 (Getty)

Naomi Osaka out on court

13:10 , Flo Clifford

Naomi Osaka and Daria Kasatkina have walked out onto Centre Court, and the four-time major champion is wearing another eye-catching outfit.

Osaka is well known for her fashion collaborations with designers and has already sported two outfits inspired by her Japanese heritage to walk onto court for her opening two matches.

Today she’s wearing a billowing all-white cape with puffed sleeves and long, tiered train over her usual Nike dress, rather than the full-on kimono from her first round and high-low ensemble from round two.

 (Reuters)

Novak Djokovic proud of his level at Wimbledon

12:55 , Jamie Braidwood

"I like the terminology 'vintage', it is nice because it brings back the best days,” Novak Djokovic said after his destruction of Stefanos Tsitsipas in round two.

“Obviously you feel very happy, satisfied and joyful on the court when you are playing this way. Once I got that momentum going two sets to love up, that game when I went 5-2 up was one of the best return games I've played in a while.”

Djokovic will play Arthur Rinderknech, the 25th seed, for the first time.

The sad truth of Novak Djokovic’s painful Wimbledon destruction of Stefanos Tsitsipas

12:40 , Flo Clifford

Tsitsipas, the former world No 3, was a shadow of his former self as Djokovic painfully revealed how far the Greek has fallen with a masterful straight-sets victory on Centre Court, writes Jamie Braidwood:

Image from: Wimbledon 2026 LIVE: Djokovic equals Federer record and receives unexpected boost in bid for title

The sad truth of Novak Djokovic’s painful Wimbledon destruction of Stefanos Tsitsipas

Joao Fonseca in trouble in Wimbledon third round

12:37 , Jamie Braidwood

Those who have studied the men’s draw at Wimbledon will know that if Novak Djokovic and Joao Fonseca both win today, they will book a rematch of last month’s French Open third round, a match that was memorably won by the 19-year-old Fonseca in five incredible sets.

Roman Safiullin is not following the script, however. The 28-year-old Russian, and world No 132, leads Fonseca 6-3 6-3.

Joao Fonseca trails by two sets (Reuters)

Naomi Osaka on finding form on grass at Wimbledon

12:25 , Jamie Braidwood

Fashion-wise, Naomi Osaka said she plans to “shake things up” as she progresses through the tournament. But the former Australian Open and US Open champion has never progressed past the third round at Wimbledon, and the 14th seed will attempt to break new ground at the Championships when she plays Daria Kasatkina.

Osaka reached the final at Bad Homberg last week, and said: “There are definitely strengths that I can utilise here. It's interesting because it took me a really long time to figure out the difference between, like, all the clay court tournaments.

“I feel like here, on my first practice, from Germany to here I can figure out this grass is completely different. I think I'm still adjusting to it a little bit. For sure, when I'm playing my opponents on grass, I do feel my game does give me a little bit of benefits.”

 (PA)

Naomi Osaka turns more heads with latest Wimbledon walk-on outfit

12:10 , Jamie Braidwood

Naomi Osaka continued to turn heads at Wimbledon as she unveiled her latest look while equalling her best run at the Championships with a second-round win over Anastasia Gasanova.

After unveiling an all-white “Kill Bill” inspired kimono for her opening win over Elsa Jacquemot on Monday, Osaka wore a white jacket with floral decoration with a long train which trailed behind her and a cream obi belt.

Four-time grand slam champion Osaka’s high-fashion walk-ons have been a theme of the tennis session, from her jellyfish-inspired look at the Australian Open to her shimmering gold dress at the French Open, which took inspiration from the Eiffel Tower at night.

What will Osaka have up her sleeve as she takes to Court No 1 this afternoon?

Image from: Wimbledon 2026 LIVE: Djokovic equals Federer record and receives unexpected boost in bid for title

Naomi Osaka turns more heads with latest Wimbledon walk-on outfit

Wimbledon 2026: Day five order of play and tournament schedule

11:55 , Jamie Braidwood

Novak Djokovic and Jannik Sinner remain on a collision course at Wimbledon as the third round of the Championships gets underway on day five.

But viewers will likely have to wait an extra day for Serena Williams and Venus Williams to rekindle their doubles partnership, with Serena still a doubt after “tweaking her knee” during her singles defeat to Maya Joint on Tuesday night, and with the pair not currently scheduled to take to the court on Friday.

Djokovic produced a “vintage” performance to defeat former world No 3 Stefanos Tsitispas on Wednesday, a straight-sets victory he raced to in an effort to save valuable energy for his bid to win a record 25th grand slam title at Wimbledon.

The 39-year-old will now face France’s 26th seed Arthur Rinderknech, who is bidding to advance past the third round for the first time, while defending champion Sinner plays Jenson Brooksby as the Italian aims to gather momentum, and world No 1 Aryna Sabalenka meets former Jelena Ostapenko in what could be an explosive third-round clash on Centre Court.

Image from: Wimbledon 2026 LIVE: Djokovic equals Federer record and receives unexpected boost in bid for title

Wimbledon 2026: Day five order of play and tournament schedule

Alexandra Eala makes history at Wimbledon to carry the hopes of the Philippines

11:40 , Flo Clifford

On the back of Alexandra Eala’s white visor at Wimbledon is a message, written in the language of her native Philippines. It reads, “Kapag lumago, hindi na hihinto”, which roughly translates to, “Once it grows, it cannot be stopped”.

On Saturday, the 21-year-old will take the next step of her journey when she steps out, onto what is likely to be Centre Court, to face defending champion Iga Swiatek in the third round of Wimbledon. It feels as if Eala breaks new ground for her country wherever she goes, and at Wimbledon, where she is the first Filipino player to reach the third round of a grand slam, history is once again being written in real time. The Philippines is a country of roughly 110 million people - the archipelago in south-east Asia is the 12th most populated country in the world - but before Eala its impact on tennis had been marginal, if it even had one at all.

Jamie Braidwood reports on Wimbledon’s latest superstar:

Image from: Wimbledon 2026 LIVE: Djokovic equals Federer record and receives unexpected boost in bid for title

Alexandra Eala makes history at Wimbledon to carry the hopes of the Philippines

Why Arthur Fery, the last Brit standing at Wimbledon, is ready for his moment

11:30 , Jamie Braidwood

After keeping British hopes in the singles alive at Wimbledon, Arthur Fery took a moment for himself. The 23-year-old wildcard tossed away his sweaty white cap and roared after beating the qualifier Otto Virtanen to reach the third round of a grand slam for the first time, but then paused, turned and bowed his head as he placed his hands on the net, soaking the moment in. “A lot of relief, a lot of pride,” he said after a hard-fought 5-7, 7-6, 6-3, 6-3 win. Fery, though, was not about to get sentimental about his journey. There is more work to do, after all.

But the path to becoming the last British player left in the singles at Wimbledon has been an unusual one for a player who was born in France. His mother, Olivia Fery, was a professional tennis player who played at the 1991 French Open. His father, Loic Fery, is the wealthy owner of Ligue 1 football club FC Lorient. Fery briefly played for France at under-12 level, but grew up 10 minutes down the road from Wimbledon. There was no choice to make when deciding between the two countries. He sounds like a south Londoner. His home tournament was to be played on grass, not clay.

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How Arthur Fery, the last Brit at Wimbledon, will prepare to block out the noise

Katie Swan after Madison Keys ends Wimbledon run

11:15 , Flo Clifford

“I'm obviously disappointed with the result, but it was an amazing experience for me to get to play on Court 1 for the first time. I was really excited when I saw the schedule.

“There was a lot of different emotions, nerves, excitement, and I just wanted to put on a good performance. I did the best that I could, despite the result.

“This has been really positive for me, this Wimbledon, and the grass overall. I've had a few wins against girls who are here in the main draw.

“I'm still ranking-wise a fair way off being at that point, but like I said before, if I keep building week to week, I just don't want to take anything for granted.

“It's not a given that I'll get there, but if I keep putting in the work every day, keep believing in myself, I know that my level is good enough to reach that goal.”

Katie Swan following defeat to Madison Keys (Getty)

Katie Swan sets her goal after Wimbledon run ends in front of Princess of Wales

10:55 , Flo Clifford

Katie Swan is determined to return to Wimbledon on ranking merit after overcoming serious injury to play the biggest match of her career in front of the Princess of Wales.

Following persistent back problems which threatened to cut short her playing days, Swan made the most of a wild card by becoming the best-performing Briton in the women’s singles.

The 27-year-old marked her first appearance at the All England Club for three years with an opening victory over Irina-Camelia Begu before suffering a 6-1 6-4 second-round defeat to 2025 Australian Open champion Madison Keys.

Image from: Wimbledon 2026 LIVE: Djokovic equals Federer record and receives unexpected boost in bid for title

Katie Swan sets her goal after Wimbledon run ends in front of Princess of Wales

Wimbledon Brit tracker: The one singles player still standing after 18 defeats

10:40 , Flo Clifford

Arthur Fery will be in third-round action on Saturday as the last British player in the singles draw, after there were defeats for Katie Swan, Jacob Fearnley and Jan Choinski on Thursday

Image from: Wimbledon 2026 LIVE: Djokovic equals Federer record and receives unexpected boost in bid for title

Wimbledon Brit tracker: The one singles player still standing after 18 defeats

Fans face nervy wait over call on Serena and Venus Williams' doubles partnership

10:25 , Flo Clifford

Serena Williams’ doubles comeback at Wimbledon is in doubt after she sustained a knee injury during her first competitive singles match in four years.

The 44-year-old lost a thrilling encounter with 20-year-old Maya Joint 6-3 6-7 6-3 late on Tuesday night on Centre Court, putting up a valiant fight before fading in the third set.

She did not take part in the obligatory post-match press conference and it later emerged that this was due to her picking up a knee issue during the match, which required lengthy treatment from the physio.

The Williams sisters, won 14 grand slam doubles titles including six at Wimbledon, are yet to officially withdraw from the tournament, but are not scheduled to play their first-round doubles match on Friday 3 July.

Image from: Wimbledon 2026 LIVE: Djokovic equals Federer record and receives unexpected boost in bid for title

When is Serena Williams playing doubles at Wimbledon with sister Venus?

Novak Djokovic gets his wish

10:11 , Flo Clifford

Novak Djokovic said after his win over Stefanos Tsitsipas: “I’d love to play an outdoor Wimbledon grass-court match. Haven’t had a chance so far.”

The 24-time major winner has played both of his matches so far last up in the order of play on Centre Court, making them night sessions in all but name.

But he’s got his wish: today the seventh seed has been put first up on Centre Court, where he plays 25th seed Arthur Rinderknech, with play beginning at 1.30pm.

Day four recap

10:02 , Flo Clifford

Elsewhere on day four, Amanda Anisimova survived an almighty scare against fellow American and former Australian Open winner Sofia Kenin, needing a match tie-break to see off her compatriot and make the third round - where she’ll face Madison Keys in a huge clash.

And 29th seed Alexandra Eala reached the third round of a grand slam for the first time as she beat Maya Joint, conqueror of Serena Williams, in an entertaining three-set tussle. She’ll face defending champion Iga Swiatek next.

 (Reuters)

Wimbledon order of play

09:54 , Flo Clifford

🏟️ Court 12

11:00AM Start

  1. Corentin Moutet (FRA) / Arthur Reymond (FRA) vs Julian Cash (GBR) / Lloyd Glasspool (GBR) [3]
  2. Ekaterina Alexandrova [18] 41 vs Iva Jovic (USA) [16]
  3. Alejandro Davidovich Fokina (ESP) [22] vs Marton Fucsovics (HUN)

🏟️ Court 18

11:00AM Start

  1. Harri Heliovaara (FIN) / Henry Patten (GBR) [1] vs Mac Kiger (USA) / Patrik Trhac (USA)
  2. Rafael Jodar (ESP) [23] vs Shintaro Mochizuki (JPN)
  3. Nikola Bartunkova (CZE) vs Barbora Krejcikova (CZE)

Wimbledon order of play

09:46 , Flo Clifford

🏟️ No.2 Court

11:00AM Start

  1. Roman Safiullin vs Joao Fonseca (BRA) [24]
  2. Jessica Pegula (USA) [4] vs Jessica Bouzas Maneiro (ESP)
  3. Hubert Hurkacz (POL) vs Tommy Paul (USA) [21]

🏟️ No.3 Court

11:00AM Start

  1. Belinda Bencic (SUI) [11] vs Anna Kalinskaya [19]
  2. Jan-Lennard Struff (GER) vs Daniil Medvedev [8]
  3. Karolina Muchova (CZE) [10] vs Mananchaya Sawangkaew (THA)

Wimbledon order of play

09:38 , Flo Clifford

🏟️ No.1 Court

1:00PM Start

  1. Daria Kasatkina (AUS) vs Naomi Osaka (JPN) [14]
  2. Jannik Sinner (ITA) [1] vs Jenson Brooksby (USA)
  3. Claire Liu (USA) vs Coco Gauff (USA) [7]

Wimbledon order of play

09:30 , Flo Clifford

Day 5 - Friday 3 July

🏟️ Centre Court

1:30PM Start

  1. Arthur Rinderknech (FRA) [25] vs Novak Djokovic (SRB) [7]
  2. Aryna Sabalenka [1] vs Jelena Ostapenko (LAT)
  3. Felix Auger-Aliassime (CAN) [3] vs Michael Zheng (USA)

Day four recap

09:21 , Flo Clifford

On the British front, Arthur Fery is the last player standing after he beat qualifier Otto Virtanen - conqueror of fourth seed Ben Shelton - in their second-round tie.

French-born Fery, who grew up in Wimbledon, was the only Brit to make it to the middle weekend after there were defeats for Katie Swan, Jacob Fearnley and Jan Choinski.

Swan lost 6-1 6-4 to former Australian Open champion Madison Keys, while Fearnley fell in straight sets to Spaniard Jaume Munar, 6-4 7-6 6-4, and Choinski battled hard against 17th seed Frances Tiafoe but ultimately lost in four, 4-6 6-2 7-5 6-2.

 (Getty)

Day four recap

09:12 , Flo Clifford

Reigning champion Iga Swiatek suffered a scare as she needed three sets to see off Taylor Townsend in round 1, but was in cruise control against 2021 runner-up Karolina Pliskova, who is making a gradual return from a long injury lay-off, in yesterday’s second-round encounter. The Pole won 6-1 6-3 in the first match on Centre Court.

Later on Matteo Berrettini won an entertaining four-set tussle with 20th seed Arthur Fils, with the Italian overjoyed to be playing at the top level again after recurring injury crises.

And there was joy too for Grigor Dimitrov, who was forced out of Wimbledon last year with a torn pec muscle when leading Jannik Sinner in their fourth-round match. The Bulgarian, who was granted a wildcard for this tournament, saw off 15th seed Jakub Mensik in four sets and will now face Berrettini in the third round.

 (Getty)

Welcome

09:04 , Flo Clifford

Hello and welcome to day five of Wimbledon!

Novak Djokovic headlines Centre Court today as he faces 25th seed Arthur Rinderknech in his bid to win a record 25th major, while defending champion Jannik Sinner takes to No 1 Court hoping to build momentum after a tricky couple of matches.

Naomi Osaka plays former world No 8 Daria Kasatkina first up on that court, while Aryna Sabalenka, Jelena Ostapenko, and Coco Gauff are all in action later today.

 (Getty)
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