If not for Carlos Alcaraz, the last time Novak Djokovic lost a Wimbledon match was way back in 2017, and that too, because of an elbow injury which forced him to retire against Thomas Berdych. So, his current run at the Center Court is not surprising. Earlier on Saturday, when Nole stepped onto the court to face his Serbian friend Miomir Kecmanović, he was already a favorite. He comfortably went on to win the match that marked his 100th win at the All England Club. 

After beating his Serbian friend Miomir Kecmanović in straight sets 6-3, 6-0, 6-4, Djokovic was elated with his record win. The 7-time Wimbledon champ said, “Wimbledon is a dream tournament. And any history I make at my favorite tournament, I am blessed.” Notably, Nole is only the second man to win 100 matches at Center Court after Roger Federer. 

While this was indeed a special moment for the Serb, the biggest highlight of the match came during the first set when Djokovic and Kecmanović produced one of the best rallies of the tournament with a 14-shot thriller. At first, it seemed like we were in for a thriller when Kecmanovic responded with a textbook drop shot and then a forehand winner before forcing deduce. Djokovic was still leading 4-3 against his Davis Cup teammate.

But just when Kecmanovic was looking dominant when the two exchanged diving volleys at the net and Nole’s lob volley made the 49th-ranked run backward and smash the, the 7x champ came up with a backhand volley which Kecmanovic had no answer for. The Wimbledon crowd even gave a standing ovation to Djokovic for the incredible point.

“It was kind of like an ecstasy, to be honest, in that moment,” Djokovic said when asked about that rally. “We were both running around each other, around the whole court. Then just that diving backhand volley down the line passing shot. Can’t wait to see the highlights!”

Bastien Fachan posted on X, and in the middle of the video, one can see the entire sequence when Djokovic was leading 4–3 in the first set.

In the second set, Novak Djokovic really took charge, zooming to a quick 6–0 win in only 29 minutes. Right from the start, he broke Kecmanovic’s serve to take a 1–0 lead and quickly followed it up—hitting clever drop shots that had his opponent on the run. Well, the 38-year-old ultimately went on to win the third set 6-4 and ultimately moved to the next round. This win marked Nole’s 100th at the All England Club.

Indeed, he’s 38 but still going strong. So, there have been quite a few rumors floating around about the Serbian lately, but one of his former coaches quickly stepped in to set the record straight.

Shrugging off the Novak Djokovic rumors

There have been quite a few whispers in the tennis community suggesting that this might be Novak Djokovic’s final shot at a Grand Slam. But his former coach, Goran Ivanisevic, was definitely not on board with that idea.

In an interview with Clay Tennis, he was asked about Djokovic’s struggles at the French Open and his chances at Wimbledon, to which he replied, “I felt bad about that third set—he had 15-40, two set points, and didn’t do anything wrong. I’m not saying he’d have won if he took that set, and even if he did, Alcaraz was waiting. But here, I see his chance. Looking at the draw, I don’t think no one can beat Djokovic before the semis, and he’s never lost to Sinner here. OK, Australian Open and Roland Garros, but here Novak’s beaten him twice. In my view, Novak’s the favorite, no matter how sentimental that sounds.”

Sure, players like Carlos Alcaraz are definitely tough competition, but Ivanisevic believes Djokovic has the advantage. He thinks that his background on grass, experience, and impressive record really make him the favorite at Wimbledon. The Serbian tennis star is still looking good, but his former coach asserts that staying motivated is the real challenge. Ivanisevic talks about how managing nerves under pressure is super important, but the cool thing is, this doesn’t have to be the end of the road for Novak.

The former coach highlighted that Novak Djokovic has opportunities not just at Wimbledon to showcase his skills on the big stage again, but also at the US Open and possibly even at the LA Olympics in 2028. Now, stay on top of every twist and turn in the Championships with our Live Blog.