David Beckham refused to leave the Royal Box at Wimbledon as thousands of empty seats on Centre Court greeted women's champion Aryna Sabalenka's return to the tournament. The former England captain remained in his seat while many ticket holders and special guests dashed out between men's matches, leaving the arena half-empty for Sabalenka's title defence.
Beckham's Unwavering Presence
Despite the free bar and endless food provided by tennis bosses, Beckham stayed firmly in his Royal Box seat, even as most of those sitting alongside him for Jannik Sinner's match decided to take a break. Sinner, the world number one, had survived an almighty scare with a nervy win over Miomir Kecmanovic. With Novak Djokovic due to face China's Wu Yibing in the evening slot, many spectators chose to stretch their legs, but Beckham remained.
Sabalenka's Gratitude
After her match against Teodora Kostovic, Sabalenka, 28, addressed the crowd and said: "Sir David, thank you for being here!" Fans praised him on social media, with one sharing a photo on X and commenting: "While most of the crowd vanish when the men aren't playing, David stays put."
Family and VIP Treatment
Beckham's son Romeo, 23, and his girlfriend Kim Turnbull, 25, did not receive VIP treatment and were not invited to sit in the Royal Box. However, Beckham's mother Sandra did join him there. The Royal Box eventually filled up later in the day.
History with Katherine Jenkins
Beckham may have also wanted to avoid crossing paths with Katherine Jenkins, who was seated a few rows in front of him in the Royal Box. Nine years after his furious remarks about the Welsh singer came to light, the two were in close proximity. In a leaked email from 2017, Beckham questioned Jenkins' OBE, writing: "Katherine Jenkins OBE for what? Singing at the rugby and going to see the troops plus taking coke. F***ing joke."
Jenkins later admitted to being hurt by the comments, telling The Sun in 2018: "You're just minding your own business and you get caught up in this massive storm. To get caught up in that wasn't pleasant." She added that she had never heard from Beckham about the remarks. Jenkins had previously confessed to taking illegal substances including cocaine, ecstasy, and MDMA until the age of 23.
