David Beckham led the stars who were out in force in London’s heatwave on Monday to attend the first day of the Wimbledon Championships 2025.
The former footballer, 50, had his hand in a bandage as he took his seat in the Royal Box at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club alongside his mum Sandra after recently undergoing surgery on his injured wrist.
He made a transatlantic dash from Atlanta, where he was watching his Inter Miami side bow out of the Club World Cup against Paris Saint-Germain, for the tournament which will see Britain’s Emma Raducanu take to the court at 3:50pm in 34C temperatures.
As the likes of Beckham, Rochelle and Marvin Humes, Eddie Redmayne and Sam Thompson took their VIP seats, regular punters were in for a shock after being told to stay away due to day one of the tournament already being ‘at capacity’.
Earl’s Court tube station in West London, a popular changeover point en route to Wimbledon, was packed with tennis fans who had flown in from all over the world.
And the Met Office suggested today was ‘the warmest start to Wimbledon on record’.
But an announcement over the PA system quickly put a dampener on the excitement after it was revealed the grounds were already ‘at capacity’ before 9am.
The All England Club queue is incredibly popular in the opening week and fans had been in it since the early hours of the day, to make it into the grounds for Day One.
Those who had opted for a slightly later lie-in faced disappointment when they were told that non-ticket holders risked not getting in.
There were also warnings that travellers faced at best ‘several hours’ waiting in the queue with temperatures soaring for the rest of the day.
An update from Wimbledon’s official website on Monday read: ‘Please be aware that the Queue for Day 1 – Monday 30th June – is very busy and to avoid disappointment we strongly advise you not to travel to the Grounds today.
Please note there is hot weather forecast for Monday and Tuesday. In both The Queue and the Grounds there may be periods where shade is not available.
‘Please plan appropriately, including bringing water, suncream and a hat. Water refill points are available in the Queue and around the Grounds.’
The queue offers fans the chance to buy limited Show Court tickets or a Grounds ticket, which are sold on a best available, one-per-person queuing basis.
A total of 500 tickets for Centre Court – excluding the last four days – No.1 Court, and No.2 Court are available for the days that they are in play.
Ahead of the tournament, organisers warned fans to check the status of the Queue before travelling.
The tournament has a maximum grounds capacity of 42,000 spectators.
One fan in the queue claimed more than 9,000 people were in the line for day one just after 7am this morning.
Fans in the queue could be faced with predicted temperatures of 34 degrees as they aim to enter the grounds for the first day of play.
Dressed in clothing from his Spring Summer 2025 BECKHAM x BOSS collection, David looked his usual dapper self in a cream tailored suit for the occasion which he layered over a crispy white shirt and burgundy tie.
But despite his travels he showed no sign of jet lag and beamed as he waved at the crowd as well as posing for an enthusiastic selfie with former Wimbledon champion Maria Sharapova on Henman Hill.
Sharapova has been a long-time friend of the Beckhams, attending numerous fashion events with Victoria.
David took his seat in the Royal Box alongside his mum Sandra and old friend Sir Gareth Southgate for the Gentlemen’s Singles first round match between Fabio Fognini and Carlos Alcaraz
David was hospitalised last week after being left in ‘unbearable’ pain and requiring surgery to remove a screw embedded in his wrist from an old injury suffered while playing for England 22 years ago.
He was seen arriving at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on Sunday wearing a blue sling with his right hand encased in a plaster cast.
Meanwhile Rochelle Humes wore her best tennis whites as she enjoyed a date day with husband Marvin, looking loved up as they made their star-studded arrival.
Former The Saturdays singer, 36, was the epitome of chic in a cream suit by de Savary London, which boasted tailored blazer and cropped trousers teaming it with a scarf and stylish hat.
Shielding her eyes behind Louis Vuitton shades she cosied up to her beloved husband, 40, who also sported sunglasses and rocked a pinstriped look.
Elsewhere A-list actor Eddie Redmayne, 42, who also stuck to the smart dress code and added a pop of colour to his suit with a green tie.
He was joined by his wife Hannah Bagshawe, 43, who looked incredible in a berry coloured tea dress which she cinched in at the waist with a double black leather belt.
In true tradition, tennis lover Cliff Richard, 84, was also in attendance and looked his usual snazzy self in a colourful blazer.
Meanwhile newly-single Sam Thompson, 32, was also in attendance and appeared in great spirits despite his recent split from Samie Elishi, 25.
Aussie actress Isla Fisher, 49, put on a very busty display in a plunging floral maxi dress as she posed up a storm before taking her seat in the stands.
World No 719 Oliver Tarvet claimed the biggest victory of his career on Monday as he defeated Switzerland’s Leandro Riedi in straight sets at Wimbledon.
But despite hailing from St Albans, Hertfordshire and triumphing in front of a jubilant home crowd at SW19, the 21-year-old will not be able to claim the majority of the £66,000 prize pot afforded to him for reaching the second round.
Tarvet, who advanced past the Swiss 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 on Court 2, currently plays on the US collegiate circuit and has one year remaining of his degree at the University of San Diego – and most college sports in the United States are amateur.
Student athletes can claim up to $10,000 (£7,300) per year from any prize money, which they can use to put towards expenses and entrance fees.
However, that did not appear to hinder the Brit who claimed an impressive victory after progressing through the qualifying rounds to set up a clash against either defending champion Carlos Alcaraz or Fabio Fognini.
‘There are a lot of emotions,’ Tarvet told the BBC after his debut win. ‘I’m just really overjoyed to be in this situation. All the hard work that I’ve put in over the last few years has clearly paid off.
Meanwhile two-time Wimbledon finalist Ons Jabeur was reduced to tears after she was forced to retire from her round one match.
Jabeur was first out on Court 14 but after just 26 minutes of action in her match against Viktoriya Tomova disaster struck.
The Tunisian looked visibly distressed sat on her courtside seat and a medical time-out was called.
She had her blood pressure taken and her vitals were checked before she was taken away off court for further examination.
Despite a valiant attempt to return to play, Jabeur eventually made the call to retire.
‘I wasn’t expecting not to feel good,’ Jabeur said in a statement after it was decided she would no hold a press conference.
