Novak Djokovic v Roman Safiullin LIVE: Wimbledon 2026 latest scores, results and order of play as Djokovic takes on qualifer before Aryna Sabalenka v Naomi Osaka

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Djokovic v Safiullin LIVE: Wimbledon latest scores as Djokovic faces qualifier in bid for record grand slam

Djokovic meets qualifer and former Wimbledon quarter-finalist Roman Safuillin in his bid for a record 25th grand slam major title

Novak Djokovic and Jannik Sinner remain on a collision course at Wimbledon while Naomi Osaka faces Aryna Sabalenka in a fourth-round blockbuster on day seven of the Championships.

Djokovic and Sinner, who could meet in the semi-finals, both play qualifiers on Centre Court this afternoon. Djokovic continues his bid for a record 25th grand slam title against former quarter-finalist Roman Safuillin, who knocked out Joao Fonseca, while Sinner meets Japan’s Shintaro Mochizuki, the world No 151, but a winner against Rafael Jodar.

Osaka is through to the last 16 of Wimbledon for the first time and battles current world No 1 Sabalenka in a meeting of four-time grand slam meetings. Sabalenka has won all three matches they have played this season, including in the last 16 of last month’s French Open, but Osaka carries blistering form onto the grass.

Coco Gauff, meanwhile, faces a tough test against Belinda Bencic, and there is an all-Czech contest between former champion Barbora Krejcikova and 10th seed Karolina Muchova. Yesterday, Arthur Fery kept British interest in the singles alive with a battling five-set win, while Filipino superstar Alexandra Eala knocked out reigning champion Iga Swiatek.

Follow latest scores and updates from Wimbledon, below

Grigor Dimitrov rewrites Wimbledon story to set up wildcard clash with Arthur Fery

Grigor Dimitrov made an emotional winning return to Centre Court as he defeated Matteo Berrettini in five sets to set up an all-wildcard clash with British Arthur Fery at Wimbledon.

Last year, Dimitrov’s Wimbledon campaign ended in a painful retirement as he led eventual champion Jannik Sinner by two sets in the last-16 on Centre Court. It was the fifth consecutive grand slam where the 35-year-old had retired from a grand slam due to injury, with the pectoral train forcing him to also miss the US Open, a withdrawal which ended a streak of 58 consecutive grand slam appearances.

Prior to Wimbledon, Dimitrov’s ranking plummeted to 146 in the world after winning just five matches this season, with the Bulgarian requiring a wildcard to enter the main draw at Wimbledon. But after making a winning return to the All England Club, the former world No 3 is now back in the fourth round after beating 15th seed Jakub Mensik and former finalist Matteo Berrettini in his last two matches.

Grigor Dimitrov rewrites Wimbledon story to set up wildcard clash with Arthur Fery

Returning to Wimbledon ranked 146th in the world, Dimitrov has made it back to the fourth round following last year’s retirement while leading Jannik Sinner

Jamie Braidwood5 July 2026 12:15

Serena Williams forced to bring Wimbledon comeback to premature end: ‘I’m heartbroken’

A “heartbroken” Serena Williams has been forced to bring her Wimbledon comeback to a premature end after the 44-year-old was forced to withdraw from her first-round doubles match with sister Venus Williams due to a knee injury.

The 23-time grand slam champion “tweaked” her right knee during her first singles match in four years on Tuesday night,putting her involvement in the doubles in major doubt after a thrilling three-set defeat to Maya Joint under the roof on Centre Court.

Williams posted a series of photos on Instagram showing her right leg wrapped in bandages and revealing the fluid that had to be drained from her knee following her first singles match since the 2022 US Open. Williams also appeared to be receiving treatment to her left leg in the photos she published.

Serena Williams forced to bring Wimbledon comeback to premature end

The 44-year-old has pulled out of her doubles match with sister Venus Williams due to a knee injury suffered in her first-round defeat to Maya Joint in the singles

Jamie Braidwood5 July 2026 12:00

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

Serving to stay in the biggest match of his life, as the shadows began to lengthen across Wimbledon’s Court 18 and fans climbed onto fold-out seats on the balcony and clambered onto benches to look down below, Arthur Fery was suddenly ground to a halt. A third nosebleed of the match stopped Fery in the his tracks and forced him to think. He had been battling Belgium’s Zizou Bergs for over four hours for a place in the last-16, scrapping from the brink after being a double-break down in the fourth set and a single break down in the fifth. Fery trailed 4-1 in both sets, but the deeper a hole the British wildcard faced, the tougher he fought, and the higher he climbed.

Once again, Fery managed to block out the distractions, with his epic 2-6 7-5 2-6 7-6 (3) 7-6 (10/5) over Bergs ensuring there will be a British player in the fourth round of Wimbledon.

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

The 23-year-old wildcard Fery, who suffers nosebleeds on court and carries earplugs in his tennis bag, defeated Zizou Bergs in a five-set epic on Saturday and remains the only British player left in the men’s or women’s singles

Jamie Braidwood5 July 2026 11:45

Alexandra Eala comes of age at Wimbledon and brings 112 million people with her

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, Eala’s blossoming development took its biggest step yet, as the 21-year-old knocked out defending champion Iga Swiatek on Centre Court to reach the fourth round of Wimbledon. It took an epic effort from the 29th seed, first outlasting the erratic six-time grand slam champion in a titanic 85-minute first set, then as she battled her own nerves in closing out the win of her life, 7-6 (9) 6-2 in two hours and 14 minutes.

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

The 21-year-old, who knocked out reigning champion Iga Swiatek, has embraced becoming a source of inspiration for the Philippines after breaking new ground by reaching the fourth round of Wimbledon

Jamie Braidwood5 July 2026 11:30

Naomi Osaka faces Aryna Sabalenka in Wimbledon fourth-round blockbuster

Aryna Sabalenka faces Naomi Osaka in a battle of current and former world No 1s with Wimbledon staging a fourth-round blockbuster between four-time grand slam champions.

Osaka, 28, is through to the fourth round of Wimbledon for the first time and while her fashion walk-outs have attracted considerable attention, the Japanese star has found serious form on the grass after struggling on the surface earlier in her career.

Osaka now plays top seed Sabalenka for the fourth time this season. Before this year, Osaka and Sabalenka had not played since the 2018 US Open but Sabalenka has won all three of this season’s meetings - including in the last-16 of last month’s French Open.

Neither Osaka or Sabalenka have won a grass-court before, but the Wimbledon draw is opening up after defeats for Iga Swiatek, Elena Rybakina and Amanda Anisimova on the other side of the bracket on Saturday.

Naomi Osaka v Aryna Sabalenka start time: When is Wimbledon fourth-round blockbuster?

Osaka is through to the fourth round of Wimbledon for the first time and plays world No 1 Sabalenka on Centre Court

Jamie Braidwood5 July 2026 11:15

Wimbledon 2026: Day seven order of play and tournament schedule

🏟️ Centre Court

1:30PM Start

Roman Safiullin v Novak Djokovic (SRB) [7]

Aryna Sabalenka [1] v Naomi Osaka (JPN) [14]

Jannik Sinner (ITA) [1] v Shintaro Mochizuki (JPN)

🏟️ No.1 Court

1:00PM Start

Jessica Pegula (USA) [4] v Iva Jovic (USA) [16]

Felix Auger-Aliassime (CAN) [3] v Alejandro Davidovich Fokina (ESP) [22]

Belinda Bencic (SUI) [11] v Coco Gauff (USA) [7]

🏟️ No.2 Court

11:00AM Start

Harri Heliovaara (FIN) / Henry Patten (GBR) [1] v Adam Pavlasek (CZE) / Patrik Rikl (CZE)

Not Before 12:30pm: Karolina Muchova (CZE) [10] v Barbora Krejcikova (CZE)

Hubert Hurkacz (POL) v Jan-Lennard Struff (GER)

Jamie Braidwood5 July 2026 11:05

Djokovic, Sinner, Osaka and Sabalenka headline Centre Court

Novak Djokovic and Jannik Sinner remain on a collision course at Wimbledon while Naomi Osaka faces Aryna Sabalenka in a fourth-round blockbuster on day seven of the Championships.

Osaka is through to the last 16 of Wimbledon for the first time and battles current world No 1 Sabalenka in a meeting of four-time grand slam champions. Sabalenka has won all three matches they have played this season, including in the last 16 of last month’s French Open, but Osaka carries blistering form onto the grass.

Djokovic and Sinner, who could meet in the semi-finals, both play qualifiers on Saturday. Djokovic continues his bid for a record 25th grand slam title against Roman Safuillin, who knocked out Joao Fonseca, while Sinner meets Shintaro Mochizuki, a winner against Rafael Jodar.

Coco Gauff, meanwhile, faces a tough test against Belinda Bencic, and there is an all-Czech contest between former champion Barbora Krejcikova and 10th seed Karolina Muchova.

Wimbledon 2026: Day seven order of play and tournament schedule

Novak Djokovic and Jannik Sinner both play qualifiers in the fourth round as they remain on a collision course at Wimbledon

Jamie Braidwood5 July 2026 10:55

Novak Djokovic's daughter unimpressed by his dance moves

"More than tennis, I hope that my dance moves will improve because my daughter has been teaching me but I'm pretty poor. She didn't give me a smile in the end, she was more like: 'Yeah, we have to practice!' But hopefully I can have many more dances throughout the rest of this tournament. We will see."

Djokovic’s moves on match point against Arthur Rinderknech were much smoother, as the 39-year-old dived to make a volley and lob his opponent, leaving both flat on the grass.

Jamie Braidwood5 July 2026 10:45

Novak Djokovic 'relieved' to get through tough Arthur Rinderknech test

“He has that variety because he has a big powerful game. He was also changing the pace and putting a lot of variety in the game, so he took me out of my comfort zone. I'm just really relieved to come through this one.

“I think I've done everything I needed to do today, under circumstances that weren't maybe as good for me as they were in the second round, and it was still enough to win. At this age and stage in my career, every day brings something new and unpredictable for me. I'm hoping that I will come out at my best in a few days' time.”

Jamie Braidwood5 July 2026 10:35

Novak Djokovic bidding to break Roger Federer's Wimbledon record

Last time out, 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.

Jamie Braidwood5 July 2026 10:31

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