Rishi Sunak used crutches to hobble into the royal box at Wimbledon today, nearly three months after injuring himself while "showing off" to his daughters during an Easter ski holiday. The former prime minister, 45, was accompanied by his wife Akshata Murty as he took his seat in the VIP enclosure at Centre Court.
Injury and Recovery
Sunak first posted a photo of himself using crutches on social media in April, telling friends he was "on the mend" and intended to continue his parliamentary and constituency work, but would be unable to walk his dog for some time. However, his appearance at Wimbledon suggests he is still recovering from the accident.
The injury occurred during a ski trip with his daughters, Krishna, 15, and Anoushka, 13. At the time, Sunak wrote on social media: "Pushed my luck on the slopes this Easter showing off to my daughters. I’m already on the mend and determined to keep up with my meetings and constituency work (although sadly no walks with Nova for a while). Thanks to everyone who’s been in touch. Looking forward to getting back to full fitness soon and seeing many of you in the coming weeks." He added that he would make the most of his recovery by watching sport on TV.
Royal Box Celebrities
Sunak watched the tennis from the royal box alongside a host of famous names, including Olympic heroes Usain Bolt, 39, and Seb Coe, 69, former England manager Roy Hodgson, 78, comedian Rob Brydon, 61, and snooker players Dennis Taylor, 77, and Ken Doherty, 56. Professor Brian Cox, 58, actor Joseph Fiennes, 56, and journalist Andrew Marr, 66, were also in the VIP enclosure.
Other well-known faces spotted around the grounds included Olympic gold medallist Dame Denise Lewis, 53, former sprinter turned broadcaster Jeanette Kwakye, 43, and England Lioness Beth Mead, 31.
Previous Appearances and Clumsiness
Sunak, who is the MP for Richmond & Northallerton in North Yorkshire, was previously pictured on crutches at the start of May while appearing at Claremont McKenna College in California with his wife, who graduated from the college in 2002 with a BA in Economics and French. The couple delivered the commencement address at the graduation ceremony.
The former PM has a history of clumsiness. In January 2022, he was photographed falling while skating at the Natural History Museum, taking his daughter down with him. At the time, an onlooker said: "He was skating for ten minutes before he staggered and dragged her down. People were all looking and had previously been taking pics."
