Sachin Tendulkar, India's legendary former cricketer, headlined a glittering list of sporting icons in the Royal Box at Wimbledon on Friday, watching Alexander Zverev defeat Britain's Arthur Fery to reach his maiden men's singles final at the All England Club.
Cricket Royalty Returns to Centre Court
Welcoming the former India captain back to Centre Court, Wimbledon shared a picture of Tendulkar on X and wrote, "Cricket royalty returns to the Royal Box. Welcome back to Wimbledon, Sachin Tendulkar." Star Sports shared a post on X, highlighting a live television broadcast where a commentator referred to him as "the greatest batsman of all time," while the cameras focused on him enjoying the action.
Star-Studded Royal Box Gathering
Tendulkar was joined by former West Indies captain Brian Lara, with the two batting greats sharing the spotlight after years of being fierce international rivals and later teammates in several charity matches. Current India Test captain Shubman Gill also attended the semi-final, adding another touch of cricketing royalty to Centre Court. The Royal Box also featured football stars, including Liverpool and Netherlands captain Virgil van Dijk, while Leeds United chairman Paraag Marathe was among the notable guests.
Zverev's Commanding Victory
On court, Zverev ended Fery's dream Wimbledon run with a clinical 7-6(0), 6-2, 6-4 victory in two hours and 14 minutes. After edging a tight opening set through a dominant tie-break, the French Open champion took complete control with his powerful serving and aggressive baseline game. The victory sends Zverev into his first Wimbledon final and his fifth Grand Slam title match overall. He also became only the third German man in the Open Era to reach the Wimbledon final after Boris Becker and Michael Stich.
Fery's Breakthrough Campaign
Despite the defeat, Fery's remarkable run captivated British fans. The wildcard reached his maiden Grand Slam semi-final after defeating Damir Dzumhur, Otto Virtanen, Zizou Bergs, Grigor Dimitrov and Flavio Cobolli, a breakthrough campaign that is set to lift him to World No. 36 in the ATP Live Rankings.
