Prepare the strawberries and whip the cream: Wimbledon 2026 is officially underway.
On the opening Monday (29 June), defending champion Jannik Sinner will begin play on Centre Court, with the Italian men’s No 1 up against Serbia’s Mimir Kecmanovic. Novak Djokovic and Aryna Sabalenka will also headline Centre Court.
The British women’s tennis No 1 Emma Radacanu, however, will be absent from her scheduled match against Antonia Ruzic after pulling out of the competition due to injury. Follow along with all the updates on The Independent’s live blog here.
Several A-listers, including David Beckham and Mary Berry, will be watching the action unfold from the Centre Court’s Royal Box. Situated in the prime-viewing slot, the exclusive area has been used for the entertainment of friends and guests of Wimbledon since 1922, and it has 74 exclusive seats.
Invitations are sent by the Chairman of the All England Club, but members of The Championships’ Organising Committee and The Lawn Tennis Association can make suggestions.
See below for all the celebrities in the Royal Box at Wimbledon today (29 July)...
David Beckham and Sandra Beckham
The former England captain and his mother Sandra are familiar faces in the Royal Box, having regularly attended Wimbledon together over the years.
Robert Aramayo
The British star of I Swear is still riding high months after his Bafta victory in March, where he won Best Actor over household names like Leonardo DiCaprio and Timothée Chalamet. Taking a leaf out of Beckham’s book, Aramayo brought his mother, Lisa Dawson, along to watch the action.
Mary Berry
The former Bake Off judge traded the tent for Centre Court, attending the tennis alongside her chef and author daughter Annabel.
Alexander Armstrong
The TV personality and long-time host of Pointless made an appearance at Wimbledon together with his wife Hannah.
Tess Daly
Fresh off her departure from Strictly Come Dancing, Tess Daly was spotted enjoying the action at Wimbledon together with Gayle Lawton – co-founder of their clothing brand Naia Beach.
Ronan Keating
Also in the Royal Box for the first day of competition is the singer Ronan Keating who is accompanied by his wife Storm.
Carol Kirkwood
Months after presenting her final weather forecast on the BBC in April, Carol Kirkwood was spotted soaking up the sunshine with her husband Steven Randall.
Mark Rylance
Stage actor and Oscar winner Mark Rylance (Bridge of Spies) was joined in the Royal Box by the artist and photographer Lisa Barnard.
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