- Djokovic is happy with his Sunday power show.
- His biggest barrier is Nadal.
- He may face Alacaz in the quarterfinals.
Novak Djokovic acknowledges he is a convert to Wimbledon’s new middle Sunday play regulation as the three-time reigning champion attempts to get to the quarterfinals for the thirteenth time.
Tim van Rijthoven, the 104th-ranked player in the world, is the wild card opponent for top-seeded Djokovic, who is attempting to tie Pete Sampras with seven Wimbledon titles.
His match in the round of 16 will be the highlight of a historic day in which the tournament’s middle Sunday will be planned for the first time.
Historically, Monday has been a day of relaxation at Wimbledon, with the exception of 1991, 1997, 2004 and 2016, when rain in the first week necessitated a hasty rescheduling.
“All the other Grand Slams are playing on mid-Sunday. I’m glad that Wimbledon has introduced that. I’m in favor of the rule change,” said Novak Djokovic.
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The 35-year-old dropped a set in his first victory over Kwon Soon-woo, but he has since cruised, dropping only 14 games over the course of the next two rounds.
A month ago, Van Rijthoven was ranked outside of the top 200.
Having won his first ATP title on grass at ‘s-Hertogenbosch, the Dutchman is utilizing his Wimbledon wild card to its full potential.
He has only lost serve three games and has advanced to the fourth round by defeating seeded opponents Reilly Opelka and Nikoloz Basilashvili.
“Before the tournament started, it was a dream for me to play Djokovic,” said Van Rijthoven, who is only the sixth man since 2000 to advance to the round of 16 in his Grand Slam debut.
If the Spanish youth defeats the Italian Jannik Sinner, Djokovic’s victory will set up a mouth-watering quarterfinal matchup with Carlos Alcaraz.
The 19-year-old Alcaraz is attempting to reach his third quarterfinal at a Grand Slam tournament, but his first at Wimbledon.
Last year, Alcaraz won the pair’s only previous indoor clash in Paris.
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Sinner is also aiming for his first Wimbledon quarterfinal after falling in the first round during his debut in the main draw last year.
Frances Tiafoe and Tommy Paul will set up an all-American quarterfinal if they defeat David Goffin of Belgium and Cameron Norrie of the United Kingdom, respectively.
Rafael Nadal remains the greatest obstacle to Djokovic’s pursuit of a fourth consecutive victory after advancing to the round of 16 on Saturday.
