The VIP audience for ladies’ semi-finals day numbered athletes, actors, innovators, journalists, entertainers, diplomats and pioneers in many fields, invited by All England Club chairman Ian Hewitt to enjoy a day of tennis with Royal Box hospitality.
Technically, there were no royals on Day 11, but in the presence of Ben Whishaw, the actor who voices Paddington Bear, the Royal Box did rejoice in someone who can claim to be the late Queen’s favourite afternoon-tea companion.
Who can forget the delightful sketch at the Platinum Jubilee Party when the late monarch revealed she always kept a marmalade sandwich in her handbag "for emergencies"?
Mysteriously, Elina Svitolina, Marketa Vondrousova, Ons Jabeur and Aryna Sabalenka all eschewed this quintessential English treat for a classic energy gel at changeovers.
The first encounter on Centre Court between the wild card from Ukraine and the unseeded Czech – both of whose progress to the last four has been truly out of this world – was fittingly watched by Dr Andrew Feustel, the American NASA astronaut who took coins spun for the 2017 Wimbledon finals up to the International Space Station.
By the end of the day – just after 10pm, when by chance the ISS will have passed through the atmosphere directly above London SW19 – the tennis world would be abuzz with the knowledge of which players would compete on Saturday for the Venus Rosewater Dish.
The Royal Box was full of representatives from teams that keep Wimbledon running smoothly from Day 1 to finals weekend: Sarah Goldson, manager of the Ball Boys and Girls, accompanied by her predecessor Anne Rundle; Michael Murray (no relation of Andy and Jamie), CEO of Fraser’s Group, which owns Slazenger, the official ball supplier; and Barbara Slater, Director of Sport at the BBC.
The BBC's security correspondent Frank Gardner and Radio 4 Today programme stalwart Martha Kearney were also present.
Notable contributors to sport included Sir Hugh Robertson, Chair, British Olympic Association, who was knighted in 2014 for services to London 2012 Games, when the All England Club hosted the tennis events; and Louise Assioun and Susan Morrison, co-founders, LUSU Sports, winners of the Diversity Award, LTA Tennis Awards 2021 and 2022.
Despite her semi-final defeat, Svitolina’s comeback at Wimbledon as a new mother, playing not just for herself but for the morale of her compatriots, is a storyline to impress the Royal Box regular, Sir Tim Rice, the Oscar-winning musical theatre writer.
Especially as this, her last showing, was played out in the presence of the Ambassador of Ukraine to the United Kingdom, His Excellency Mr Vadym Prystaiko.
Other invested onlookers included Fergus Drake, CEO of Crown Agents, who was appointed OBE for work helping to deliver medical supplies and equipment to Ukraine; and surgeon Lt Col Dr Andrew Kent, who was also appointed OBE this year for services to UK health support overseas, particularly in Ukraine.
Actor, voice artist and tennis commentator Ken Ishiguro (the son of Japanese player Osamu Ishiguro) came along as WOWOW’s Head of Sport Hideki Tozuka’s ‘plus one’ – and the match-up between the mercurial skills of Jabeur pitted against the power of Sabalenka prompted a lot of wows.
As well as tennis grandees (multiple wheelchair-title winner Jordanne Whiley), athletes (British sprinter Dina Asher-smith) and actors (the versatile Eric Bana), it is the Club's desire to honour those who make valuable contributions to society and public service.
These dignitaries included Dame Lyn Chitty, Professor of Genetics and Fetal Medicine, Great Ormond Street Hospital; Professor of Sports and Exercise Medicine Nick Webborn, Chair of the British Paralympic Association; and the Rt Hon Sir Alok Sharma, President for COP26, United Nations Climate Change Conference 2021.
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