Despite the absence of World Cup screenings at Wimbledon, the spectators at Centre Court found ways to keep up with England’s football match. During Barbora Krejcikova’s second-round victory over Mirra Andreeva at the Grand Slam, unexpected cheers erupted from the crowd, coinciding with pivotal moments in England’s World Cup game against Congo.
The enthusiastic reactions were for Harry Kane’s goals, which propelled England to a 2-1 victory over Congo in Atlanta. These cheers, unrelated to the tennis action, left Andreeva puzzled as she competed fiercely in the match, ultimately losing 4-6, 7-5, 6-4.
Following the match, Andreeva expressed her surprise, saying, “Was there a football match? I didn’t know that.” The All England Club maintains a tradition of not broadcasting football games on its grounds during major tournaments, a policy that remained in place even during England’s Euro finals in 2021 and 2024.
While official screenings are absent, fans are not restricted from using personal devices to follow football matches. Sally Bolton, chief executive of the All England Club, had stated, “If people have got their phones then we’re not going to prevent people from watching the football.”
On Henman Hill, where tennis fans congregate to watch Centre Court matches on a large screen, many spectators were seen juggling their attention between their phones and the tennis match. Despite the distractions, Andreeva was unfazed by the crowd’s divided focus. “I didn’t feel like they were super loud,” she explained. “They (cheered) when she was still going to the baseline to return, so it didn’t bother me at all.”
Krejcikova, unaware of the football-related cheers, remarked, “I thought it was for us. I wasn’t really thinking that there is obviously a football game. I didn’t really pay any attention to that. … I was just focusing on serving, returning, playing my game.” Meanwhile, Coco Gauff, who had completed her match on No. 1 Court, noticed the distant cheers and deduced, “I think England scored. I heard that.”
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