Novak Djokovic sweeps aside Daniel Evans at Wimbledon

Wimbledon

Djokovic sweeps aside Evans, keeps Wimbledon bid on track

Serbian avenges 2021 Monte-Carlo upset, faces Kecmanovic next

Ezra Shaw/Getty Images Novak Djokovic in action against Daniel Evans on Thursday at Wimbledon. By Andy West

Novak Djokovic cruised to some long-awaited revenge on Thursday at Wimbledon, where the seven-time champion defeated home favourite Daniel Evans 6-3, 6-2, 6-0 to reach the third round.

Facing Evans for the first time since the Briton pulled off a stunning straight-sets victory at the 2021 Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters, Djokovic produced a classy all-around display to level the pair’s Lexus ATP Head2Head series. The seven-time Wimbledon champion served precisely throughout, dropping just nine points on serve in the match, and dealt with Evans’ trademark slice backhand with aplomb in his one-hour, 47-minute triumph.

“I think everyone knew that it was going to be a special atmosphere today on the court,” said Djokovic. “Obviously a Brit in Britain is never easy to face. ‘Tricky’ is maybe not a great word, but he’s a good quality player who possesses a lot of talent, a lot of touch. For the grass, where the ball stays very low with his slice, he can be causing a lot of trouble to you if you are not on top of your game, which I think I was, to be honest, from the very beginning.”

By defeating Evans on Centre Court, Djokovic moved clear of Roger Federer for the most men’s singles third-round appearances (19) at the grass major in the Open Era. The 38-year-old, a record 24-time Grand Slam champion is now 99-12 on the lawns of SW19.

“It means that I’ve been playing quite a long time,” joked Djokovic, when asked about his new third-round appearance record. “Nineteen times. That’s a great stat. It’s probably almost as much as Sinner and Alcaraz have as years in their life, but I still enjoy it. This sport has given me so much... Wimbledon remains the most special tournament in my heart, the one that I always dreamed of winning when I was a kid, so any history made here is obviously extra special for me."

The man standing between Djokovic and his 100th Wimbledon main-draw win is a fellow Serbian, Miomir Kecmanovic. The No. 49 player in the PIF ATP Rankings earlier rallied past Jesper de Jong 1-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4

Put your hands up if you are through to R3 🙌@DjokerNole cruises past Evans 6-3 6-2 6-0.@Wimbledon | #Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/33UXbX4rEq — ATP Tour (@atptour) July 3, 2025

While Djokovic’s win against Evans was ultimately very comfortable, the sixth seed had to be patient in the early stages. The Serbian let slip his first nine points of the match, but after finally converting one for a 5-3 lead in the opening set, he barely looked back.

Striking the ball cleanly off both wings, Djokovic repeatedly pulled the 35-year-old Evans around the court. The Briton attempted to move forward to the net whenever possible, but he was unable to maintain any sort of pressure on an opponent who produced some of his best tennis of 2025 so far.

“I was preparing well for the match, technically and tactically. I knew what I needed to do, and I executed perfectly,” reflected Djokovic. “Sometimes you have these kinds of days when everything goes your way and everything flows. It’s good to be in the shoes and holding a racquet on a day like this, no question about it.”

Djokovic capped his win having outhit Evans by 46 winners to 19. He is now 23-8 for the 2025 season, a tally which includes his run to his 100th tour-level title in May in Geneva.

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