NEW DELHI: Legendary Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar graced the prestigious Centre Court at Wimbledon 2024 with his presence on Saturday.

Besides witnessing the high-octane tennis matches, Tendulkar shared a frame with Roger Federer and expressed his desire to partner with the tennis legend in a cricket match.


Tendulkar, when queried about his preferred tennis star to partner with in cricket, chose Federer, attributing his choice to Federer’s familial cricket background and their mutual enjoyment of the game.


Tendulkar said, “One tennis player I would love to bat with has to be Roger (Federer) because he has also got cricketing connections. His mother is from South Africa, and he follows cricket. And when we sat together and chatted, we discussed a lot of cricket, not just tennis. So it has to be Roger.”

Watch:


The cricket veteran disclosed his affinity for playing tennis with two individuals he holds in high regard: the late Shane Warne, with whom he had previously enjoyed tennis matches in London, and former Indian cricketer Yuvraj Singh.

Answering who he would like to play tennis with, the cricketing icon added, “There are two strong contenders. Unfortunately, we lost Shane Warne a couple of years ago, but I enjoyed playing tennis with Warney. In fact, we played together in London. And the other guy is from Indian cricket team, Yuvraj Singh, who has also retired. But Warney and Yuvraj would be the ones.”

The Wimbledon Centre Court witnessed a special moment when the announcer introduced Tendulkar as a cricketing icon, a World Cup winner, and the highest run-scorer in the history of the sport.


As the announcer’s voice reverberated through the iconic venue, “Joining us today is a legend of the game from India, another World Cup winner and the highest run scorer in cricket history, please welcome Sachin Tendulkar!”, the crowd burst into applause, creating a momentous and unforgettable welcome for the cricket icon.

Joining Tendulkar in the VIP section were notable England cricketers Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler, Joe Root, and Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola, who were observed attending the sixth day of this esteemed tournament.