Roger Federer demonstrated his dedication to the sport by remaining in the Royal Box at Wimbledon until the very end of the day's play, long after other celebrities had departed. The eight-time Wimbledon champion was the sole occupant of the box as he watched the conclusion of the match between Alexander Zverev and Jiri Lehecka on Centre Court.
The match, which followed British qualifier Arthur Fery's five-set victory over Grigor Dimitrov, did not conclude until after 8 p.m. Zverev and Lehecka's contest then commenced, and play was suspended due to Wimbledon's 11 p.m. curfew with Zverev leading two sets to one.
Federer, 44, was seen watching intently from his seat, dressed in a suit, as the players vied to finish before the deadline. His commitment to staying until the final ball was widely praised, contrasting with the departure of other A-list attendees earlier in the evening.
Among the other notable figures in the Royal Box earlier in the day were tennis legend Billie Jean King, Formula One driver Kimi Antonelli, and England women's footballer Alessia Russo. Comic Relief co-founder Lenny Henry, actor Ncuti Gatwa, and BBC Sport director Alex Kay-Jelski were also present.
Federer's presence was noted by Fery, who admitted to feeling the pressure of playing in front of the tennis icon. "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 said. "It's incredible to be in that position where one of the greatest of all time is watching you."
Fery's victory over Dimitrov will see him enter the world's top 100 rankings and has set up a quarter-final match against Flavio Cobolli. Zverev and Federer have a history, with the German player having won four of their seven previous encounters before Federer's retirement.