Record-chasing Djokovic crushes Evans to reach Wimbledon third round
The sixth seed struggled with stomach issues in his four-set win against Alexandre Muller, praising the "miracle pills" he took during the first round for his strong recovery.
There were no lingering effects for the seven-time Wimbledon champion as he overwhelmed Evans with 46 winners.
"It means I've been playing quite a long time!" Djokovic said when told he had just secured his 99th Wimbledon match victory.
"I still enjoy it. This court has given me so much. Wimbledon has a special place in my heart. Any history made here is obviously extra special."
Djokovic is dreaming of putting an exclamation point on his incredible career by becoming the most successful singles player in tennis history.
The 38-year-old has been tied with Margaret Court on 24 Grand Slam titles since winning his most recent major prize at the 2023 US Open.
And despite losing the last two Wimbledon finals against Carlos Alcaraz, Djokovic believes the lawns of south-west London provide his best chance to win that elusive 25th major.
"I'm aware of the history on the line. I'm thinking about the big things I can do in this tournament," he said.
"I don't reflect on it for now. I think that will come when I sip a margarita on the beach with (Roger) Federer and (Rafael) Nadal!"
After losing to top seed Jannik Sinner in the recent French Open semi-finals, Djokovic is in the unusual position of no longer being regarded as the Wimbledon title favourite, having failed to make the championship match in his previous three Grand Slam appearances.
Djokovic, who won his 100th tour-level title in May in Geneva, has been dogged by questions about when he will retire since fulfilling his long-held desire for Olympic singles gold in Paris last year.
But he would draw level on a record eight men's Wimbledon singles titles with Federer if he wins the grass-court event for the first time since 2022, and on this evidence he is in the mood to make history at his favourite tournament.
Evans, 35, had won his only previous meeting with Djokovic on clay in Monte Carlo four years ago and the Serb claimed he was the kind of tricky opponent he would have preferred to avoid.
But Djokovic had never lost a Grand Slam match to a player ranked as low as world number 154 Evans and he wasn't about to make unwanted history.
"I knew it would be a special atmosphere on Centre Court. A Brit in Britain is always hard to face," Djokovic said.
© 2025 AFP
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