Two players ranked outside the world's top 100 have turned the opening week of this year's Wimbledon into a story of nerve and redemption, and neither looks finished yet. Roman Safiullin and Shintaro Mochizuki, both of whom came through qualifying, have knocked out seeded opponents in dramatic fashion, and now they walk into meetings with two of the biggest names in the sport.
Safiullin's long road back from injury
Safiullin's route to this stage has been anything but smooth. The 28-year-old Russian, once a Wimbledon quarter-finalist, had slipped to 132 in the world rankings and had not won a single ATP Tour-level match all year before entering qualifying for this tournament. He shut down his 2025 season after the US Open in August to treat an injury and did not return to action until February, a break that, in his own words, left him unsure whether he would ever be able to come back to competitive tennis.
He opened his run in the main draw by saving two match points against 12th seed Andrey Rublev, a result that hinted at the fight still to come. Since then he has not dropped a match, stretching his run at SW19 to six straight wins.
A tearful win over Fonseca
The most striking of those victories came against talented Brazilian 24th seed Joao Fonseca, whom Safiullin beat 6-3 6-3 6-3. He was in tears by the end of the match and, still unable to speak properly through the emotion, received a standing ovation from the crowd on Court Two.
"After the US Open, I had to stop to treat my injury. That time was super tough. Even half a year ago, I didn't know whether I would be able to come back," Safiullin said. Asked to explain the depth of his emotion, he added, "It came from the hard times, I would say. It was not an easy period."
That six-match streak now carries him into a meeting with seven-time champion Djokovic on Sunday. Safiullin has faced him three times before. "I played against him three times and only one time I was really close to getting a set against him," he said. "The other two times he destroyed me. Hopefully this time I will give him problems and make him suffer on the court."
A fightback from 1-6 down
While Safiullin was fighting his way through the draw, Japan's Shintaro Mochizuki produced an even more improbable turnaround. Ranked 151 in the world, he won just one of the first eight games against 23rd seed Rafael Jodar, a fast-rising 18-year-old Spaniard, before clawing his way back to win 1-6 7-6 (7-5) 6-4 6-4.
Like Safiullin, Mochizuki had gone through the entire season without a single tour-level win, losing all six matches he had played before Wimbledon. The 23-year-old is now through to the fourth round of a Grand Slam for the first time in his career, a run that makes him only the fourth Japanese man to reach the men's singles fourth round at Wimbledon.
That achievement sets up a meeting with reigning champion Sinner, against whom Mochizuki will be chasing an unlikely seventh consecutive victory.
"He's just a celebrity for me"
Mochizuki was candid about how surreal the prospect feels. "It's a strange feeling to play Jannik at Wimbledon, especially now this year. I think he's just a celebrity for me," he said. "I was not winning much before coming here, and I don't know how I have been winning matches here. I'm excited but, at the same time, I feel a little bit strange to be here. I just want to keep enjoying it."
Osaka cheers on a friend
Mochizuki had support in the stands too. After winning her own third-round match earlier on Friday, compatriot Naomi Osaka was seen on court 18 cheering him on. The two became friends after playing together at the United Cup earlier this year.
"I knew she had already won her match, so I was very happy she was there. She's been playing the best tennis on this surface this year, I think it's a great year for us," Mochizuki said. "She's been really nice to me. She messages me when I win, and I follow her matches too. I'm very happy we're both here. She's one of the nicest personalities."
Safiullin and Mochizuki began the season without a single tour-level win between their last several matches, yet a run through qualifying at Wimbledon has completely transformed both their tournaments. What remains to be seen is whether that run of shocks can continue against two players as formidable as Djokovic and Sinner.
