Sir David Beckham was praised by tennis star Aryna Sabalenka for staying in his seat as Wimbledon’s Royal Box emptied out after the men’s game finished on Monday.
Belarus‘s Sabalenka, 28, clearly appreciated Sir David’s support after beating Serbian teenager Teodora Kostovic, 19, 6-2 6-3 on day one of Wimbledon.
After her first round win, the world No 1 thanked the crowd for their support and then turned to the former footballer and said: ‘Sir David, thank you for being here!’
Sir David, 51, had been in the audience with his mother, Sandra, sitting near his former nemesis Katherine Jenkins, 46; Ronan Keating, 49, and Mary Berry, 91, for the men’s game between Jannik Sinner and Miomir Kecmanovic.
But they were later seen vacating their seats after Sinner’s win, with people using the opportunity to have a toilet break and top up their drinks or just go elsewhere.
Sir David Beckham was praised by Aryna Sabalenka for staying in his seat as Wimbledon’s Royal Box emptied after the men’s tennis finished on day one of the tournament on Monday
One spectator shared this picture of a much emptier Royal Box after the men’s tennis finished along with the hashtag #womeninsport
David happily sat solo to watch his friend play, with Aryna saying: ‘Sir David, thank you for being here!’
Pointless host Alexander Armstrong, 56, and his wife, Hannah Bronwen Snow, 49, remained in their seats after the men’s game and chatted with Sir David
The sportsman watched the game intently, while remaining guests were glued to their phones
Sir David conversed with former tennis player Debbie Jevans, while some of the seats surrounding them remained empty
Aryna Sabalenka thanked the crowd, with a special mention to Sir David, for staying to watch her play
Earlier, a packed crowd, including Sir David and his mother Sandra, watched Jannik Sinner start his title defense with a five-set win against Serbia’s Miomir Kecmanović
Pointless host Alexander Armstrong, 56, and his wife, Hannah Bronwen Snow, 49, remained in their seats after the men’s game and chatted with Sir David.
Sir David’s son Romeo, 23, and his girlfriend Kim Turnbull, 25, were also on Centre Court, but they didn’t have invites for the Royal Box.
Sabalenka and Sir David share a close, professional and personal friendship. The pair have teamed up for IM8, an elite health and daily nutrition brand co-founded by the football legend and health sciences company Prenetics.
After her win, Sabalenka praised her opponent Kostovic, saying: ‘She brought a really good fight. She stepped in a little more in the second set.
Earlier, David sat near his former nemesis Katherine Jenkins. It could have been a potentially awkward affair, after he previously slated her in a leaked email about his failure to obtain an OBE
At one point, when Sir David turned toward the second row where Katherine was sitting to snap a selfie with his mum, the opera star turned away
Nicola Peltz’s brother Will Peltz, 40, and his new model wife Kenya Kinski-Jones, 33, attended the day after David did – amid the Beckhams’ family feud
The newlyweds brushed off the family drama and enjoyed a day out watching the tennis, where Kenya stunned in Wimbledon whites
Katherine, who was spotted on Monday in the Royal Box, attended again on Tuesday with her husband Andrew Levitas
It was all too much for comedian Katherine Ryan who fell asleep on husband Bobby Koostra’s shoulder after attending two days in a row
Jameela Jamil, who attended day one on her own, was today joined by her long-term partner James Blake for another day of tennis action
Mollie King and Stuart Broad opted for matching cream suits as they attended day two of the Wimbledon Championships at the All England Club on Tuesday
‘She pushed me a bit more. I’m happy I was able to close it in straight sets. I totally get it. Playing for the first time on Centre Court, it’s a lot of pressure. But I’m pretty sure she’ll deal with that much better next time.
‘I think we all get nervous. It’s just part of our lives. You kind of block that part of your brain and kind of try to focus on yourself. I think with experience I learned how to deal with nerves and expectations a bit better.
‘I have to say for the first match I felt pretty good. I’ll rate myself… let’s say 8 out of 10?’
Before that, the crowd had been watching Jannik Sinner start his title defense with a five-set win 4-6, 6-3, 6-7(6), 6-2, 6-3 against Serbia’s Miomir Kecmanović.
In the final match of the day, Novak Djokovic defeated Wu Yibing and, afterwards, caught up with Sir David and his mother.
Ms Jenkins sitting in the row behind Sir David could have been potentially awkward, after he previously slated her in a leaked email nine years ago, but they did not interact.
In a series of leaked emails published in 2017, Sir David was alleged to have slammed the Welsh singer and questioned why she was awarded an OBE amid his own failure to secure a knighthood.
One email was alleged to have said: ‘Katherine Jenkins OBE for what? Singing at the rugby and going to see the troops plus taking coke. F****** joke.’
The opera star was awarded an OBE in 2014, for services to various charities and her travelling to war zones to entertain the troops. Sir David was formally knighted by King Charles III in recognition of his services to sport and charity in November 2025.
The hacked emails also suggested allegations surrounding his stance on the Scottish referendum and investing in loss-making companies to reduce his tax bill.
Sir David’s representatives dismissed the claims at the time, stating that the emails had been ‘hacked and doctored’ from a private account.
