Pep Guardiola and his wife were among the special guests to watch Saturday’s match between Cameron Norrie and Alexander Zverev at Wimbledon, as the Manchester City manager joined the likes of Ben Stokes and Leah Williamson in Centre Court’s Royal Box.
The legendary football manager, who led Manchester City to a record-breaking fourth successive Premier League title last season, was playfully booed by the SW19 crowd as he took his seat in the Royal Box.
The Spaniard, who attended the match with his wife Cristina Serra, was not the only manager present at the All England Club on Saturday, as he was joined by former Three Lions head coach Roy Hodgson.
England Test captain Stokes was joined by fellow cricketers Jos Buttler and Joe Root, with India legend Sachin Tendulkar also in the crowd.
As for former rugby stars, Lawrence Dallaglio and Sir Gareth Edwards watched Norrie’s match with Zverev on Centre Court.
Pep Guardiola and his wife Cristina Serra were among the guests in Royal Box on Saturday
The Manchester City manager (centre) was playfully booed as he and England women’s captain Leah Williamson (right) were announced to the Wimbledon crowd on Centre Court
British tennis star Cameron Norrie (left) took on Alexander Zverev (right) on Centre Court
England cricketers Ben Stokes (right) and Joe Root (left, waving) were also in the Royal Box
Guardiola pouts and takes a selfie with his phone while enjoying the action at Wimbledon
A handful of iconic Olympians also joined the box including Adam Peaty, Sir Chris Hoy, Dame Jessica Ennis-Hill, Sir Jason Kenney, Dame Laura Kenny, Sir Ben Ainslie, Christopher Dean and Jayne Torvill.
Paralympic athletes Kadeena Cox and Hannah Cockroft also made an appearance.
Guardiola has made no secret of his love for tennis during his tenure at the Etihad, likening Manchester City’s competitive rivalry with Liverpool and Arsenal to the three-way battle between Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer.
Speaking of three tennis greats earlier this season, Guardiola said: ‘There is one detail that defines them, it is how hard they work.
‘People believing when you are on top of any sport, it is [due to] talents and skills. But what would define [them] is they work harder than the other ones, they prepare better than the other ones. They are the best.
Ex-England manager Roy Hodgson (left) and legendary Olympian Sir Chris Hoy (right) at SW19
Leaders united! England cricket captain Stokes shakes the hand of Man City boss Guardiola
Wales rugby legend Sir Gareth Edwards waves to the Wimbledon crowd at SW19 on Saturday
‘They are never satisfied and how they accept the bad moments or the defeats like it’s normal in life, in a sport and how to win the games and how they accept they are nervous or they are playing bad, how they come back immediately.’
Former British No 1 Tim Henman joined Swiss tennis legend Federer on Court No 1 on Saturday, hours before their two countries were set to go head-to-head in the quarter-finals of football’s European Championship in Germany.
