Maria Sharapova And David Beckham-Led Stars Turn Up The Heat In Sunny Wimbledon

Last Updated:June 30, 2025, 21:30 IST

David Beckham and Maria Sharapova attended Wimbledon along with Eddie Redmayne and Gareth Southgate.

David Beckham and Maria Sharapova at Wimbledon (X)

David Beckham and Maria Sharapova were among the sports and entertainment stars at Wimbledon on Monday for the tournament’s start.

Sharapova, the 2004 champion at the All England Club at age 17, shared a selfie with Beckham on Instagram, captioning it: “Let the (Wimbledon) games begin" with a tennis ball emoji.

Sharapova is set to be inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame later this year.

Former England football captain Beckham was among the guests expected to attend Centre Court matches on Day 1. Others included Oscar-winning actor Eddie Redmayne and former England men’s football team coach Gareth Southgate.

Beckham is the only player to score for England in three World Cups. He co-owns the American club Inter Miami, which was eliminated from the Club World Cup in the United States with a 4-0 loss to Paris Saint-Germain on Sunday.

What About ‘Normal’ Fans At Wimbledon?

Tennis fans armed themselves with hats, sun cream, mini-fans, and a sense of humour for the first day of Wimbledon on Monday, as the tournament recorded its hottest ever opener.

“If we sweat, we sweat — we know each other well," laughed Cathy Butcher, 73, arriving with her daughter Helen.

The retiree mentioned having a “dodgy hip" and her daughter being heavily pregnant, but they planned to focus on keeping cool and enjoying the day.

“We’re hoping for a cool breeze" and some “great tennis," added her 31-year-old daughter.

Meteorologists recorded a provisional 29.7 degrees Celsius (85.4 Fahrenheit) at nearby Kew Gardens in southwest London.

The previous record for a Wimbledon opening day was 29.3C set on June 25, 2001.

Parts of the UK are experiencing a second heatwave this month, with temperatures expected to reach 34C in London and southeast England on Monday.

London start-up boss Sean Tipper ensured he came prepared after not heeding warnings previously.

“Wimbledon when it’s really hot is quite sweaty," he told AFP while on a family day out with his wife, mother, and aunt.

The 31-year-old said they brought hats, sunglasses, a mini-fan, and “good hope."

“Last time we were very hot, so this time we’ve got rosé (wine) in a cooler to do a better job," he joked.

As temperatures rose, tournament officials “strongly" advised people without tickets not to travel to the grounds and join the queue.

“In both the queue and the grounds there may be periods where shade is not available," a statement said.

The hottest June day ever recorded in the UK was 35.6C on June 28, 1976.

Wimbledon is more accustomed to making headlines for rain than heat.

Tournament chief executive Sally Bolton said they were “absolutely ready for it and actually delighted that it’s sunny and not wet like it was last year."

For Chilean tennis fan Maria Verdugo, 40, there are pros and cons to enjoying tennis in different weather conditions.

“On balance, though, I prefer the sun; it’s more exciting," she said, holding a glass of Pimms with plenty of ice.

“It’s really sad when it rains because everything looks really dark and you have to take shelter," she added.

Under a heat rule to protect players’ health, officials will take heat stress monitor readings 30 minutes before play starts and then at 1400 (1300 GMT) and 1700.

The rule allows for a 10-minute break at certain match points when the heat stress index is at or above 30.1C.

Protocols are also in place to care for ball boys and girls, who have access to cooling scarves.

(With inputs from Agencies)

Ritayan Basu

Ritayan Basu, Senior Sub-Editor, Sports at News18.com. Has been covering domestic and and international football for nearly a decade. Has played and covered badminton. Ocassionally writes on cricket content, ha...Read More

Ritayan Basu, Senior Sub-Editor, Sports at News18.com. Has been covering domestic and and international football for nearly a decade. Has played and covered badminton. Ocassionally writes on cricket content, ha...

Read More

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News sports Maria Sharapova And David Beckham-Led Stars Turn Up The Heat In Sunny Wimbledon