Roger Federer remained in the Wimbledon Royal Box until the conclusion of the evening's play, earning admiration for his commitment to the sport. The eight-time Wimbledon champion was observed alone in the otherwise emptied box, watching the latter stages of the match between Alexander Zverev and Jiri Lehecka, which was eventually suspended due to the 11 p.m. curfew.
Federer, 44, chose to forgo dinner plans to ensure he saw the match to its scheduled end. Other notable figures in the Royal Box earlier in the day included tennis icon Billie Jean King, Formula One driver Kimi Antonelli, England women's footballer Alessia Russo, comedian Lenny Henry, actor Ncuti Gatwa, and BBC Sport director Alex Kay-Jelski. Some attendees began to depart as the evening progressed, but Federer remained seated.
The match itself featured British qualifier Arthur Fery's victory over Grigor Dimitrov in a five-set contest that concluded after 8 p.m., followed by Zverev's match. Fery, who will break into the world's top 100 following his Wimbledon run, acknowledged Federer's presence. "When I switched the TV on in the changing rooms for the first match (on Centre Court), the women's match, I saw Roger was in the Royal Box, I didn't know he was coming," Fery stated. "It's incredible to be in that position where one of the greatest of all time is watching you."
Federer and Zverev have a history, having met seven times during their careers, with the German leading the head-to-head record 4-3. The Wimbledon tournament's late-night matches are subject to an 11 p.m. curfew.
