For 101 years, the Royal Box has been reserved for members of the Royal Family - represented on Tuesday by HRH The Princess of Wales, in a mint-green blazer and tennis-inspired pleated white skirt, HRH Prince Michael of Kent and his daughter Lady Gabriella Windsor - as well as a host of illustrious guests, invited by the All England Club Chairman.
Tennis royalty, too, was present in the dapper form of King Roger, accompanied by his wife Mirka and parents Robbie and Lynette in what was an emotional outing for the Swiss Family Federer to mark the maestro’s first return to the Championships in official retirement.
The stage was set for a special Centre Court tribute to the player who first arrived on these grassy shores in 1999 and made this island his personal Grand Slam fiefdom with Gentlemen’s Singles titles in 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012 and 2017.
To a backdrop of a film montage of tributes from fellow players, Federer was announced as he took his seat in the Royal Box. Cue a standing ovation, prolonged whoops of appreciative delight, tears of emotion and affectionate humour in thinking he would be fulfilling one aspect of his vision of retirement: enjoying teatime on the terrace at Wimbledon.
With Elena Rybakina launching the defence of her singles crown, it was the day for leading ladies in the Royal Box, starring international soprano Danielle de Niese alongside her husband Gus Christie, the Executive Chairman of Glyndebourne opera, and the classically trained jazz singer Natalie Rushdie.
De Niese is playing the role of Giulietta in the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical Aspects of Love in London’s West End - which, despite the ‘love’ in the title, is not a lyrical exploration of tennis scoring, but a tale of romantic entanglements.
Rushdie is a big-stadium performer, with six Wembley appearances and a number of sport-associated anthems in her repertoire, such as You’ll Never Walk Alone.
Both might well have been comparing notes over cream tea on the acoustic effect of the roof on the Centre Court stage, especially with Aryna Sabalenka in full voice in the third match against Panna Udvardy. The No.2 seed is officially the most vocal player in the women’s game, unleashing decibels on 100 per cent of her serves and 95 per cent of shots made during a rally.
Seven years after he left office, former Prime Minister David Cameron - who is known to have liked to play tennis at Chequers during his premiership - was among the 66 guests ‘chillaxing’ on the Lloyd Loom wicker chairs in fan mode as Andy Murray took to the grass.
Chairman Ian Hewitt’s invitations reflect the Club’s desire to recognise people who work towards making global society better for all, in public service and other walks of life, and whose achievements are a source of inspiration.
It was nice to see Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe taking pleasure in a day out at Wimbledon: the British-Iranian dual citizen has been an icon of grace and eloquence since her release from a six-year imprisonment in Iran.
Guests owed public gratitude included Professor Sir Adrian Hill, Director of the Jenner Institute, Oxford University, who has been recognised for his services to science, vaccine development and public health; and physician and scientist Sir Peter Ratcliffe, Clinical Research Director, Francis Crick Institute, who won the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 2019.
Among the host of tennis VIPs - including Francois Jauffret of the French Tennis Federation; Daniel Swan, Chair of the International Tennis Hall of Fame; former player Mary Joe Fernandez with her husband, Tony Godsick, President and CEO, Team8 Sports & Entertainment, an agency which represents Federer and Coco Gauff - were people whose work enhances the Wimbledon experience.
Stand up Fairfax Hall and Sam Galsworthy, co-founders of Sipsmith, official gin partner of The Championships, and Jon Davies, Managing Director of Levy UK (Sports, Racing and Hospitality), Compass, who lead the catering operation.
The Mayor of Wandsworth, Councillor Juliana Annan, Harry Cowd, Chair of MertonVision (a charity supported by the Wimbledon Foundation), and Diane Mills, Chair of Wimbledon and Putney Common Conservators, were among local luminaries proud to be part of the world-leading event on their doorstep.
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