WIMBLEDON, England — Novak Djokovic, who has won seven of his 24 Grand Slam titles at Wimbledon, added another milestone Saturday as he became just the third player in the history of the grass-court tournament to reach 100 victories.
Djokovic beat fellow Serbian Miomir Kecmanovic 6-3, 6-0, 6-4 to advance to the round of 16 and join Martina Navratilova and Roger Federer as the only players to win 100 singles matches at the All England Club.
“Wimbledon is the favorite and dream tournament, not just for myself but probably for the majority of tennis players,” Djokovic said in an on-court interview. “Growing up most kids dream of playing here and winning here. … Any history I can make in my favorite tournament, I’m blessed.”
Djokovic, 38, playing in his 20th Wimbledon, will next face No. 11 Alex De Minaur for a spot in the quarterfinals.
The victory moved Djokovic into the fourth round of a Grand Slam for the 68th time, second only to Federer (69). He also joined Federer as the only men to win 100-plus matches at two different majors since the Open era began in 1968.
Navratilova, a nine-time Wimbledon singles champion, amassed 120 singles victories. Eight-time champion Federer reached 105 singles wins.
“It’s very historic. It sounds very nice,” Djokovic said of joining their company.
Djokovic made just eight unforced errors through two sets before Kecmanovic, his Davis Cup teammate, made him work for the victory in the third.
“I have enjoyed myself very much except maybe the last couple of games. Things got a bit complicated,” said Djokovic, who finished with 60 winners and 19 unforced errors, along with 16 aces. “It’s never easy playing a friend and compatriot.”
The highlight of the match came in the eighth game of the first set, with Djokovic looking to break. His diving backhand volley winner at the net on the fourth deuce sailed past Kecmanovic, who slumped his shoulders as he watched the ball land in down the line. On the ground, Djokovic smiled and soaked in the applause for a moment before going on to earn the key break.
“I try not to take anything for granted, particularly [at] this age, still going strong, still trying to compete with the young players and do some slides and some splits on the court, and push myself to the limit,” he said.
Djokovic, who could potentially meet No. 1 Jannik Sinner in the semifinals, has lost the past two Wimbledon finals to Carlos Alcaraz.
ESPN Research and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
