Hopes of British Wimbledon champion end in first week
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
Hopes of a British Wimbledon champion have ended at SW19 after no UK players made it through to Sunday’s fourth round.
Katie Boulter, the only remaining British singles player in the tournament, was beaten by last year’s champion Elena Rybakina in the third round on Saturday night.
But Boulter will play again in the second round of the mixed doubles on Sunday, partnering up with her boyfriend, Australian player Alex De Minaur.
Fans were not put off by the rain on Saturday and continued to have picnics on the Hill, eating strawberries and drinking Prosecco under the shelter of umbrellas.
But tennis enthusiasts could be soaked while queuing for tickets on Sunday as the Met Office has forecast heavy rain between 9am and 10am in south-west London.
The Met Office website also warns there could be heavy rain around midday.
Sunday could also see an awkward encounter when Ukrainian Elina Svitolina plays Belarusian Viktoria Azarenka.
The Ukrainian has refused to shake hands with a Belarusian opponent before.
Svitolina was beaten by Belarussian Aryna Sabalenka at the French Open in June and walked straight past her opponent at the end of the match.
Sabalenka stood at the net waiting for a handshake and there were loud boos as Svitolina walked straight past her without acknowledging her.
The Ukrainian player had previously urged tennis to focus on the suffering in Ukraine rather than issues the war is causing within the sport.
Sue Barker, who hung up her BBC microphone last year, was sat among sport stars in the Royal Box on Saturday.
Leah Williamson, Beth Mead, Jill Scott and Fran Kirby, who were part of the Lionesses team who won the European Women’s Championships in 2022, also visited the box.
The team of pallbearers who carried the late Queen’s coffin also visited Centre Court at Wimbledon and sat alongside the Royal Box.
