Tag: Wimbledon

  • Glam Slam: Wimbledon final has more stars in attendance than Oscars

    Glam Slam: Wimbledon final has more stars in attendance than Oscars

    The Wimbledon final was held in London on Sunday, where Spanish tennis player Carlos Alcaraz made history by defeating Novak Djokovic, becoming the first outsider who broke the reign held by the big four of the game: Raphael Nadal, Roger Federer, Andy Murray and Djokovic.

    But what was equally thrilling as the game, was the attendance of A-list stars glittering among the audience, taking up more space than we have ever seen at a public event.

    Here we have pictures of some of the celebrities who attended yesterday’s thrilling final.

    Andrew Garfield

    Tom Hiddleston

    Brad Pitt

    Ariana Grande

    Daniel Craig and his wife Rachel Weisz

    Emma Watson

    Jonathan Bailey

  • Alcaraz beats Djokovic to claim first Wimbledon title in five-set final

    Alcaraz beats Djokovic to claim first Wimbledon title in five-set final

    In a thrilling five-set men’s final on Sunday, World No 1 Carlos Alcaraz defeated reigning champion Novak Djokovic to claim his first Wimbledon title.

    After nearly five hours on Centre Court, the Spaniard emerged victorious with a score of 1-6 7-6 (8-6) 6-1 3-6 6-4. Alcaraz tumbled to the court in celebration and volleyed a tennis ball into the crowd.

    At just 20 years old, Alcaraz becomes the third-youngest Wimbledon champion in the Open Era and adds a second major title to his record, having won the US Open last year. Despite facing the formidable challenge of an in-form Djokovic, widely regarded as one of the greatest tennis players in history, Alcaraz fought back from a set down.

    As Djokovic’s attempted return failed to clear the net, a new Wimbledon champion was crowned, solidifying Alcaraz’s position as a leader among the sport’s next generation.

    In his on-court interview afterward, Alcaraz expressed his elation, stating, “Well, it’s a dream come true for me. For me, it’s incredible. As I said, it’s a dream come true to be able to play on this stage. It’s amazing for a 20-year-old boy. I didn’t expect to reach these kinds of situations so quickly.”

    Alcaraz also expressed pride in himself and his team for the hard work they put in every day, leading up to this momentous experience.

  • Ons Jabeur becomes first Arab woman to reach Grand Slam final

    Ons Jabeur becomes first Arab woman to reach Grand Slam final

    Ons Jabeur defeated close friend Tatjana Maria in the Wimbledon semifinals on Thursday, making history as the first Arab woman to compete in a Grand Slam singles final.

    After winning 6-2, 3-6, 6-1, Tunisia’s world number two, 27, will play either Simona Halep or Elena Rybakina in the title match on Saturday.

    Jabeur, the first Arab player to reach a Slam semifinal, said, “I’m a proud Tunisian woman standing here.”

    Irene Bowder Peacock from South Africa and Renee Schuurman from Australia in 1959 were the only African women to have advanced to a Slam singles final before Thursday.

    “It’s a dream come true from years of work and sacrifice. I’m happy that’s paid off and I’ll continue for one more match,” said Jabeur.

    “Physically, Tatjana is a beast, she doesn’t give up, I thought she would give up — her touch, her serve and everything on the court is impressive. I hope she’s continues this way. Let’s not play again I’m good for now.

    “I know in Tunisia they are going crazy right now. I want to see more Arab and African players on the tour. I love the game and I want to share the experience with them.”

    With breaks in the third and seventh games, Jabeur easily defeated mother-of-two Maria in the first set. In the opening set, the Tunisian had 15 winners to her opponent’s six, and she did not encounter a single break point.

    On the strength of a sequence of deft slices, Maria, who Jabeur referred to as her “barbecue buddy,” did manage to ultimately breakthrough for 3-1 in the second set.

    The more precise German levelled the match with six unforced errors to Jabeur’s 17 in the second set.

    However, there would be no unexpected victory when the 103rd-ranked Maria’s challenge was rejected. Jabeur earned a double break for a 5-0 lead before saving a second match point to go down in history.

  • Wimbledon 2022: Rafael Nadal beats Taylor Fritz despite injury concerns

    Wimbledon 2022: Rafael Nadal beats Taylor Fritz despite injury concerns

    After overcoming an abdominal ailment to defeat Taylor Fritz in a gripping match, Rafael Nadal gave no assurances that he would be able to show up for his Wimbledon semifinal match against Australian Nick Kyrgios on Friday.

    On Wednesday at Centre Court, Nadal was on the verge of quitting his match because of a physical issue, but he found the motivation to defeat Fritz in four hours and 20 minutes, according to Reuters.

    The Mallorcan would complete the calendar slam, a feat last accomplished in 1969 by Australian great Rod Laver, with a victory at the US Open at Flushing Meadows and a victory in his third Wimbledon tournament, his first on the well-kept grounds since 2010.

    However, the 36-year-old gave no assurance that he would be at Centre Court to continue his historic campaign.

    “I don’t know,” Nadal said when asked about his chances of playing the unseeded 27-year-old Kyrgios. “Honestly, I can’t give you a clear answer because if I gave you a clear answer and tomorrow another thing happens, I will be a liar.”

    When Nadal needed medical attention during his quarterfinal match against 11th-seeded Fritz, he acknowledged he had to change his style of play to keep playing. The Spaniard, though, thought about giving up several times throughout the competition.

    “I just wanted to give myself a chance. Not easy to leave the tournament, not easy to leave Wimbledon, even if the pain was hard,” the 22-time Grand Slam winner said. “I don’t know. I wanted to finish. I fought. Proud about the fighting spirit and the way that I managed to be competitive under that condition.”

    Before deciding whether to continue competing at the grasscourt Major, Nadal stated he was concerned about the knee and will get additional scans on Thursday.

    Nadal, who participated in and won the Roland Garros tournament while receiving painkiller injections before each match, said: “I am used to holding discomfort and playing with problems.” He only announced his participation in Wimbledon after receiving radiofrequency treatment for foot trouble.

    “Knowing that, when I feel something like I felt, that is because something is not going the proper way in the abdomen. But let’s see. I had these feelings for a couple of days. Without a doubt, today was the worst day, has been an important increase of pain and limitation,” he said.

  • Tom Cruise, Priyanka Chopra and Royals spotted at the star-studded Wimbledon finals

    Tom Cruise, Priyanka Chopra and Royals spotted at the star-studded Wimbledon finals

    The women’s final of Wimbledon for the singles title saw a plethora of famous celebrities and socialites including the members of the royal family as witnesses of a historic win on Saturday. World’s No. 1 Ash Barty became the first Australian woman to win the Wimbledon singles title in 41 years by defeating Czech’s Karolina Pliskova.

    Duchess of Cambridge Kate Middleton, Tom Cruise and Priyanka Chopra graced the biggest sporting event of tennis.

    The actress, who was dressed stylishly for the event, wore a white Fendi flowery dress with wide sleeves and a high bun.

    Pictures of Priyanka Chopra enjoying the game with The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton and Prince William, sitting in the front seats have gone viral on social media.

    Hollywood star Tom Cruise was also spotted in the audience accompanied by Hayley Atwell.

    Famous footballer and heat-throb David Beckham was seen in a good mood as he was amongst the celebrities that flocked to the Centre Court.

    Wimbledon tennis legends Martina Navratilova and Billie Jean King were seen conversing with Kate Middleton throughout the match, along with a slew of other celebrities.

    Meanwhile, Kate and Tom also appeared at the Men’s Final on Sunday, played between Novak Djokovic and Matteo Berrettini.

  • Injured Serena Williams bids adieu to Wimbledon in tears

    Injured Serena Williams bids adieu to Wimbledon in tears

    Tennis ace Serena Williams bids adieu to Wimbledon in tears on Tuesday after her latest bid for a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam singles crown ended in injury.

    The seven-time Wimbledon winner was clearly in pain on a slippery Centre Court and sought treatment while 3-2 up in her first-round match against unseeded Belarussian Aliaksandra Sasnovich.

    Williams returned after a lengthy break but her distress was evident. She grimaced and wiped away tears before preparing to serve at 3-3 after Sasnovich had pulled back from 3-1 down.

    The 39-year-old American tennis star, who had started the match with strapping on her right thigh, then let out a shriek and sank kneeling to the grass sobbing, before being helped off the court with an apparent ankle injury.

    “Brutal for @serenawilliams but centre court is extremely slippy out there. Not easy to move out there,” Britain’s Andy Murray said on Twitter.

    Eight-times men’s singles champion Roger Federer expressed shock at Williams’ departure and voiced concern about the surface, with the roof closed on Centre Court on a rainy afternoon.

    His first-round opponent Adrian Mannarino of France also retired with a knee injury after a slip in the match immediately before Williams’.

    “I do feel it feels a tad more slippery maybe under the roof. I don’t know if it’s just a gut feeling. You do have to move very, very carefully out there. If you push too hard in the wrong moments, you do go down,” said Federer.

    Williams has been a Wimbledon finalist in her last four appearances but her bid to equal Margaret Court’s record 24 Grand Slam singles titles remains stalled since her last Grand Slam win in Australia in 2017.

    With the absence this year of world number two Naomi Osaka and third-ranked Simona Halep, it was a golden opportunity for Williams. With Williams out of Wimbledon, 18-time Grand Slam champion Chrissie Evert says, “It’s anybody’s tournament.”

  • Sania Mirza seeks help from Indian sports ministry for son’s UK visa

    Sania Mirza seeks help from Indian sports ministry for son’s UK visa

    Indian tennis star Sania Mirza has sought help from the Indian Sports Ministry after her son, Izhaan Mirza-Malik, was denied a visa by United Kingdom (UK) authorities. 

    Mirza, who will be playing a couple of tournaments in the coming days in the UK, has been facing a dilemma after her two-year-old son and his caretaker were denied a visa, owing to travel restrictions imposed by the UK on Indian nationals. 

    The tennis sensation is scheduled to compete in the Nottingham Open (from June 6), Birmingham Open (from June 14), the Eastbourne Open (from June 20) and the Wimbledon (from June 28).

    The sports ministry said it was approached by Mirza, who said she could not leave a two-year-old child behind to take part in a month-long tournament. 

    “Sania, who is a part of the Sports Ministry’s Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS), approached the Ministry requesting help with the visa of her son and his caretaker. Sania stated that she cannot leave a two-year-old child behind as she travels for a month,” said the ministry in a statement. 

    The ministry said it dispatched a letter to the Ministry of External Affairs in India, asking it to take the matter up on an urgent basis with the UK authorities through the Indian embassy in London.

    Read more – Sania Mirza is a ‘proud mumma’ after Izhaan Mirza Malik fluently recites his duas

    “The request was immediately taken up by the Sports Ministry and a letter has already been sent to MEA requesting them to take up the matter in the UK through the Indian Embassy in London,” stated the Indian ministry. 

    Indian Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju expressed the hope that the UK will allow Mirza to travel with her child. 

    Rijiju, in a statement, said, “I have approved the request and Sports Ministry officials have initiated the process with the MEA. We are hopeful that the UK Government will see merit in this case and allow the child to travel with Sania.”