Djokovic Wins 'Ugly' Match at Wimbledon but Feels Relieved

Novak Djokovic moved into the quarterfinals at Wimbledon on Sunday, but he wasn't happy about how he played. The Serbian tennis star beat Roman Safiullin in four sets on Centre Court in London. Djokovic said he felt relieved to win, but he didn't enjoy the performance at all.

Djokovic struggled from the start of the match against Safiullin, who is ranked 132nd in the world. The first set was very close, and Djokovic had to save several set points before winning it in a tiebreak. The whole first set took a little over an hour to finish. The summer heat at the All England Club made things even harder.

After the match, Djokovic was honest about how he felt. 'To be honest, I haven't felt really great on the court, so I was relieved to get out of it and get a win,' he said. He told reporters that satisfaction and enjoyment had no part in the victory. He said he hoped his next match would feel better.

Djokovic said Safiullin kept putting pressure on him throughout the game, which made it hard to play well. He explained that he could not find the level of tennis he was looking for. 'A win is a win, even if you win ugly,' he added. He said he hoped to build on the result and improve.

Even though the win was tough, it was also a historic moment. Djokovic's 106th win at Wimbledon moved him past Roger Federer for the most match wins by a man in the tournament's history. But Djokovic said that record was not something he had been thinking about. He called the achievement 'insignificant' to him right now.

Up next for Djokovic is a quarterfinal match against either Felix Auger-Aliassime or Alejandro Davidovich Fokina. His main focus now is recovering well before that match. Djokovic said he spends more time recovering from matches now than at any other point in his career. He said his body needs more care because of 'wear and tear.'

Djokovic also talked about the many recovery methods he uses to keep his body in shape. These include hyperbaric chambers, cryo chambers, cold water immersions, red light therapy, and pulse electromagnetic therapy. He said he has used many of these tools throughout his career. Even though recovery takes a lot of time, he sees it as a key part of staying competitive at the highest level.