WIMBLEDON — Sure, it’s the stuff of movies: an often-injured guy ranked outside the top 100 makes his Grand Slam debut thanks to a wild card, knocking out two seeds en route to a fourth-round match at Wimbledon against none other than no. 1 Novak Djokovicthe three-time defending champion.
It’s anyone’s guess what Hollywood might do with this script. Tim van Rijthoven, a 25-year-old Dutchman, earned a chance to see what would happen in real life online from Djokovic after both won in sets Friday at the All England Club.
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“Before the tournament, it was a dream for me to play with him. To have this opportunity and maybe even play on Center Court or Court 1 is beautiful and magical,” van Rijthoven said after defeating 22nd-ranked Nikoloz Basilashvili 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 on the court. 12, with a capacity of 1,736, to become the first wild card entry since 2015 to reach the last 16 at Wimbledon.
“I go into every match thinking I can win it,” said van Rijthoven, whose baseline-based style knocked out the No. 1 seed earlier in the week. 15 Reilly Opelka. “Even against Djokovic, I will go into this match thinking that I can win it.”
In fact, until June, the trailblazing cap-wearing van Rijthoven had never won a match on the ATP Tour. He hasn’t lost a single since, going 8-0, including a win over current No. 1 Daniil Medvedev and a trophy at a grass-court tournament in the Netherlands.
“It’s been a long time. I had ups and downs, injuries here and there. I also had mental problems,” said van Rijthoven, whose health problems included wrist surgery, an operation on a vein in his right arm for thrombosis and nine months of treatment for “golfer’s elbow,” which he noticed with a smile he got while playing tennis. .
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“I’m happy to be where I am now,” he said. “Hopefully I’ll be there for a few more years – or many more years actually.”
If she’s a stranger to most, she’s not to Djokovic, who grabbed the first seven games and then six of seven in a strong run later, during a 6-0, 6-3, 6-4 victory over the no. 22 Miomirjem Kecmanović on the central court with almost 15,000 seats.
That’s partly because Djokovic is friends with van Rijthoven’s coach, Igor Sijsling. And partly because he was looking out for the guy.
So Djokovic offered some scouting report.
“His game, from what I’ve seen, is quite suitable for this surface. His big serve, one-handed backhand. He uses the slice well. He is a versatile player. He can play fast, he can also stay in the rally and get to the net,” said Djokovic, who clearly relished the sunny and windy conditions on the afternoon, running out 36-13 winners against his Serbian Davis Cup team-mate. “I’m sure he’s excited to play on the big stage. He doesn’t have much to lose. He is on his dream run. He is a young player who is just at the beginning, so I am sure that his career will be very good.”
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The other men’s fourth-round matches scheduled for mid-Sunday — traditionally a day off, now a play-in day for the first time in the tournament’s 145-year history — are No. 5 Carlos Alcaraz vs. no. 10 Jannik Sinner, no. 23 Frances Tiafoe vs. David Goffin and no. 30 Tommy Paul vs. no. 9 Cam Norrie.
Djokovic is aiming to win his seventh career Wimbledon title and 21st overall at a major championship. Only one other man in the top half of the bracket has been in the fourth round of the All England Club in the past: Goffin.
And Djokovic is the only man still around who reached last year’s quarterfinals.
“As the tournament progresses, I play better and better,” Djokovic said. “I always expect the most from myself.”
The fourth women on Sunday are no. 3 Ons Jabeur v. no. 24 Elise Mertens, no. 12 Jelena Ostapenko v Tatiana Maria, Marie Bouzkova v Caroline Garcia and Heather Watson v Julie Niemeier. One of these players will play for the championship; the only one to ever make a Grand Slam singles final is 2017 French Open winner Ostapenko.
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Watson, a 30-year-old Briton, made her Grand Slam debut in 2010 and this is her 43rd appearance at one of the sport’s four major tournaments. It’s the first time she’s reached the fourth round (same for Niemeier, whose only previous major was a first-round exit at this year’s French Open).
“Yeah, I was kind of waiting for that to happen,” Watson said. “I think I’ve waited long enough.”
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