Islamabad, July 2, 2025: Novak Djokovic overcame an early challenge in his chase for an eighth Wimbledon crown on Tuesday, defeating Alexandre Muller 6-1, 6-7(7), 6-2, 6-2 in the tournament’s opening round.
The 38-year-old Serbian dominated early on before missing six set points in the second, leading to a physically intense exchange with the Frenchman. Despite calling for medical attention twice during the third set, Djokovic’s eventually showed determination as he wrapped up the match in three hours and 20 minutes.
“I went from feeling my absolute best for a set and a half to my absolute worst for about 45 minutes,” shared Djokovic, currently ranked No. 6 in the PIF ATP Rankings. “Whether it was a stomach bug, I struggled with that, but then the energy kicked back after the doctor’s miracle pills and I managed to finish the match on a good note.”
After a flawless beginning, Djokovic started to tire during a tense and dramatic second set. With the Centre Court roof shut and Muller firing powerful groundstrokes, momentum seemed to tilt in the Frenchman’s favor. However, Muller’s double fault gave Djokovic a 3-2 lead.
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Even while under strain, Djokovic continued to show exceptional movement and stamina from the baseline, outlasting Muller and drawing mistakes. He grabbed early service breaks in both the third and fourth sets, stretching his undefeated streak in Wimbledon openers to 20-0.
With the win, Djokovic now leads 2-0 in his Lexus ATP Head2Head rivalry with Muller. The sixth seed is set to face British wild card Daniel Evans in the next round and is on course for a possible quarterfinal against British No. 1 Jack Draper.
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Playing with his lowest Wimbledon seeding (sixth) since 2018, Novak Djokovic hopes to match Roger Federer’s historic tally of eight titles at the event.
“I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t think I had a chance,” Djokovic affirmed. “I think I always have a chance, I think I earned my right to really feel like I can go all the way to the title. I have had the most consistent success here at Wimbledon.”
With his latest win, the seven-time titleholder has now claimed victory in 40 of his last 42 matches at Wimbledon. His only setbacks in that span were the final losses in the past two years, including one to Carlos Alcaraz.
