The culmination of a majestic 138th Championships was marked by the presence of Her Royal Highness The Princess of Wales, the Patron of the All England Lawn Tennis Club, wearing a truly royal blue dress and carrying a wide-brimmed straw hat. She was accompanied by Their Royal Highnesses The Prince of Wales, Prince George and Princess Charlotte. 

They were joined in the Royal Box by extended family members Her Royal Highness Princess Michael of Kent, with her son and daughter-in-law Lord and Lady Frederick Windsor. 

Sitting amid the House of Windsor in support of Carlos Alcaraz was His Majesty King Felipe VI of Spain with a diplomatic entourage that included judge and politician Fernando Grande-Marlaska, Chief of the Royal Household of Spain Camilo Villarino, and ambassador to the UK His Excellency José Pascual Marco.

Hailing Jannik Sinner’s achievement in reaching this glorious Centre Court stage on the final day of Championship action was His Excellency Inigo Lambertini, ambassador of Italy.

Arthur Ashe famously said “Success is a journey, not a destination. The doing is often more important than the outcome” – a twist on Kipling’s famous appeal to treat the two imposters of Triumph and Disaster just the same, lines which Alcaraz and Sinner saw emblazoned above the entrance to Centre Court en route to their third final this year. 

On this the 50th anniversary of Ashe’s Wimbledon victory, it was tremendous to see among special Royal Box guests Jeanne Moutoussamy-Ashe, his widow, who sat with Camera Ashe and Johnnie Ashe, the great American’s daughter and brother. 

Also taking his place in the distinctive green wicker chairs was Henry Louis “Skip” Gates Jr, a leading Harvard professor and the first African-American speaker at the Royal Academy annual dinner in the RA’s 250-year history. Skip knew Ashe well and covered Wimbledon for Time magazine in the 1970s.

The Wimbledon Compendium summary of that sun-baked Championships 50 years ago serves as a reminder of the thrill of Ashe’s impactful win: “[He] became the first black Gentlemen’s Singles Champion, as he defied the predictions of many experts to beat the bullish top seed, and reigning champion, Jimmy Connors in four sets.”

The anniversary party sat among some of Ashe’s playing peers and fellow Wimbledon champions, notably fellow American Stan Smith (1972) and Jan Kodes (1973). 

Champions from further along the timeline included Stefan Edberg (1988, 1990), Andre Agassi (1992), Richard Krajicek (1996) and Lleyton Hewitt (2002).

American icon Chris Evert, champion here in 1974, 1976 and 1981, was in the Royal Box to witness the latest instalment of the great rivalry developing between Alcaraz and Sinner. Her status in the women’s game as one half of its unparalleled all-time duopoly – with Martina Navratilova – is a touchstone of inspiration for players in all events.

Evert’s on-court poise captivated legions of fans and wannabe players. Consolidating the glamour on Sunday was Royal Box regular Dame Anna Wintour, a longtime editor-in-chief of Vogue who chairs the annual haute couture Met Gala fashion spectacular in New York, accompanied by Nicole Kidman.  

Accoladed members of the Hollywood glitterati spread their stardust on the occasion, too. Three cheers for Keira Knightley (of Atonement and Love, Actually fame), Matthew McConaughey (Dallas Buyers Club), John Lithgow (Conclave) and co-stars of the fantasy romance All of Us Strangers, Paul (Normal People) Mescal and Andrew (Fleabag) Scott.

In Sir Chris Hoy, the six-time Olympic track cycling gold medallist, there is proof of the power of the big screen to inspire the most stellar sporting exploits.

The great Scot – who has won Olympic gold medals in more separate events (team sprint, match sprint, keirin and kilo) than any other cyclist – says he was inspired to cycle at six years old by the 1982 film E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial.