Roger Federer was Wimbledon’s last man standing as he sat alone in a deserted Royal Box to watch the end of Monday’s action on Centre Court.
British qualifier Arthur Fery’s victory over Grigor Dimitrov in five sets did not finish until after 8pm – with Alexander Zverev still to face Jiri Lehecka under the roof thereafter.
Rather than leave like the other celebrities fortunate enough to have received a ticket to the Royal Box, Federer, 44, ditched dinner out of respect to Zverev and Lehecka.
Adding to his gentlemanly status in the game, the suited-up Federer could be seen on his own, watching every ball as Zverev led 6-4, 7-5, 3-3 when play was suspended due to the 11pm cut-off.
Other A-Listers in the Royal Box on Tuesday included tennis legend Billie Jean King, Formula One star Kimi Antonelli, and England women’s footballer Alessia Russo.
Roger Federer cut a lonely figure in the Royal Box at Wimbledon in Monday’s final match
Federer was sat among empty seats as he watched the tennis right up until the 11pm curfew
There was also Comic Relief co-founder Lenny Henry, actor Ncuti Gatwa, and BBC Sport director Alex Kay-Jelski.
A few began to wander back in to the Royal Box as Zverev’s match continued.
Federer, an eight-time winner of Wimbledon, was a favourite of the home crowd at SW19. Fery also paid his respects after beating Dimitrov, the stunned 23-year-old Brit admitting he could see him sitting in the front row of the Royal Box while playing.
Fery said: ‘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. I sent a message to my team saying, ‘Roger’s in the box, I’m pretty tight’.
Earlier in the day the Royal Box was not so empty – with Federer given a front-row seat
Alexander Zverev and Jiri Lehecka head off the court to meet Wimbledon’s 11pm curfew
‘It’s incredible to be in that position where one of the greatest of all time is watching you, let alone watching me play a five-set match against Dimitrov on Centre Court, Wimbledon.’
Fery, who will enter the world ranking’s top 100 following his remarkable run at Wimbledon, has set up a quarter-final showdown with ninth seed and French Open finalist Flavio Cobolli.
Zverev and Federer met seven times before the latter 20-time Grand Slam champion retired, with the 29-year-old German leading their head-to-head 4-3.
