Novak Djokovic continues to make history and equals Pete Sampras' record of consecutive victories at Wimbledon.
The Serbian has dominated the tournament at the All England Club in recent years, winning the last four editions consecutively. In his third-round appearance this year, he defeated 3-time Grand Slam champion Stan Wawrinka in three sets, marking his 31st consecutive victory at Wimbledon.
This achievement equals what Pete Sampras accomplished, as he maintained that streak from the start of the 1997 Wimbledon until his defeat in the fourth round in 2001 against a 20-year-old Roger Federer. During Sampras' reign, he won four consecutive finals against Cedric Pioline (97'), Goran Ivanisevic (98'), Andre Agassi (99'), and Patrick Rafter (00'). Sampras won a total of 14 Grand Slam titles, seven of which were at Wimbledon, the same number Djokovic holds at SW19.
Similar to the American, Djokovic has defeated four different opponents in his four consecutive final victories: Kevin Anderson (18'), Roger Federer (19'), Matteo Berrettini (21'), and Nick Kyrgios (22'). The 2020 edition of Wimbledon was not held due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Djokovic is now aiming to break a new record at Wimbledon. He has already won the Australian Open and French Open this year and is the top favorite at the All England Club. As the world No. 2, he holds the most Grand Slam titles in men's tennis, equaling Steffi Graf and Serena Williams. If he wins at Wimbledon, he will tie Margaret Court's all-time record in the history of the sport.
In the fourth round, Djokovic will face Poland's Hubert Hurkacz, and he an surpass Sampras in consecutive matches won at Wimbledon while getting closer to his 24th Grand Slam title.
Hubert Hurkacz entered Wimbledon as the 17th seed and defeated Lorenzo Musetti in the third round. The Polish player is known for his skills on grass and has already reached the semifinals of the London tournament in 2021, where he lost in four sets to the Italian Matteo Berrettini. Hurkacz's previous success on grass makes him a formidable opponent in the tournament.
31 - Only Björn Borg (41, between 1976 and 1981) and Roger Federer (40, between 2003 and 2008) have won more consecutive Men's Singles matches in Wimbledon than Novak Djokovic (31, since 2018) in the Open Era. Undefeatable. #Wimbledon | @Wimbledon @atptour @the_LTA
