Wimbledon 2026: Sachin Tendulkar returns to Centre Court as special guest

Sachin Tendulkar was among the star attractions in Wimbledon's Royal Box, joined by Brian Lara, Shubman Gill and Virgil van Dijk as Alexander Zverev beat local favourite Arthur Fery in the semifinals.

Key Points

Sachin Tendulkar watched Alexander Zverev reach his maiden Wimbledon final from the Royal Box at Centre Court.

Wimbledon welcomed Tendulkar back on social media, while TV commentators hailed him as "the greatest batsman of all time."

Brian Lara, Shubman Gill, Virgil van Dijk and Paraag Marathe were among the other prominent guests at the semifinal.

Cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar was among the biggest attractions in the Royal Box at Wimbledon on Friday as he watched Alexander Zverev beat Britain's Arthur Fery to reach his maiden men's singles final at the All England Club.

Welcoming the former India captain back to Centre Court, Wimbledon shared a photograph of Tendulkar on 'X' with the message: "Cricket royalty returns to the Royal Box. Welcome back to Wimbledon, Sachin Tendulkar."

During the live television broadcast, commentators described Tendulkar as "the greatest batsman of all time" as cameras showed him enjoying the match. Star Sports later shared the moment on social media.

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Tendulkar was part of a distinguished group of sporting personalities at Centre Court.

Former West Indies captain Brian Lara was also in the Royal Box, with the two batting greats reunited after years of rivalry on the field and appearances together in charity matches.

India Test captain Shubman Gill was also present for the semifinal, adding to the strong Indian cricket presence at Wimbledon.

The Royal Box also included football stars, among them Liverpool and Netherlands captain Virgil van Dijk, while Leeds United chairman Paraag Marathe was another notable guest.

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