Roman Safiullin defeated Brazilian Joao Fonseca 6-3, 6-3, 6-3 to reach the last 16 at Wimbledon on July 3 [1, 2, 3]. The 28-year-old former world No. 36, now ranked 132 after ending his 2025 season early due to a hip injury, credited his emotional win to the tough recovery process. "After the US Open, I had to stop playing to treat my injury. That time was super tough, because half a year ago I didn't know if I would be able to come back," Safiullin said [1]. He added the emotion came from enduring "hard times" and battling through long matches in qualifying and main draw rounds, saving match points and spending hours on court [1, 2]. Before Wimbledon qualifying, Safiullin had only two tour-level main draw wins this year [1, 3]. Safiullin will face Novak Djokovic in the fourth round on July 7 [2].
Japanese qualifier Shintaro Mochizuki upset 19-year-old Rafael Jodar of Spain 1-6, 7-6(7-5), 6-4, 6-4 to also reach the fourth round at Wimbledon on July 3 [1, 2, 3]. The 23-year-old had not won a tour-level match before qualifying for Wimbledon this year [2]. Speaking about his upcoming match against world No. 1 and defending champion Jannik Sinner, Mochizuki said he sees Sinner largely as a celebrity and finds it strange to play him [1]. Mochizuki plans to use an unusual playing style to disrupt Sinner’s rhythm, aiming to distract and make him uncomfortable by hitting low balls and coming to the net [1, 3]. "Just by hitting tennis balls, I don't think I can beat him at all. I want to do something else to make him uncomfortable," Mochizuki said [3].
Both qualifiers have defied expectations to reach the fourth round at Wimbledon, setting up challenging matches against top-ranked opponents. Safiullin’s contest with Djokovic on July 7 will be a test of his recovery and form after injury. Mochizuki faces Sinner in a matchup that will highlight his unconventional tactics.
