Shubman Gill’s meeting with Federer at Wimbledon breaks the internet
India’s Test and ODI captain has a downtime before three-match series begins on 14 July
The men’s semi-final action at the Wimbledon 2026 on Friday had a surprise guest at the centre court in India’s Test and ODI captain Shubman Gill. The stylish batter, now in England for the three-match ODI series against England starting from next week, soaked in the action in the company of Sachin Tendulkar and his wife Anjali and later had a meeting with the Swiss master Roger Federer.
Social media went viral with photos and videos of Gill catching up with Federer, winner of eight Wimbledon titles and holder of 20 grand slam titles, at the VIP lounge of All England Club. An all-court master, Federer retired from competitive tennis in 2022 but had been a special guest to the hallowed courts every year since then.
Gill was one of the many prominent sports personalities invited, alongside Tendulkar and West Indies icon Brian Lara, to witness the high-stakes action at the All England Club. American actor Benedict Cumberbatch was also in attendance on the centre court on the 12th day - which saw Jannik Sinner despatching 24-time slam winner Novak Djokovic in straight sets while Alexander Zverev beat Arthur Fery to set up Sunday’s final.
Gill was not part of the T20I series against Ireland and England, where the T20 world champions succumbed to embarrassing series defeats. He is now set to make his international return with the ODIs, the first of which is at Edgbaston in Birmingham on 14 July.
The official handle of Wimbledon on X meanwhile posted a photograph of Tendulkar watching the match from the Royal Box on Friday, announcing that the cricket royalty was spotted among the celebrities in the box.
‘’Cricket royalty returns to the Royal Box. Welcome back to Wimbledon, Sachin Tendulkar,’’ it said. Earlier, the 26-year-old Gill attended his first-ever Formula 1 race as a VIP guest during the British GP and explored the paddock and soaked in the atmosphere. He interacted with members of the Formula 1 community and enjoyed exclusive access to one of motorsport's biggest annual events.