Following the death of Liverpool’s Diogo Jota, who was killed in a car crash alongside his brother Andre Silva earlier in the week, Portuguese players Francisco Cabral and Nuno Borges both wore black ribbons on court at Wimbledon on Friday.
Jota was part of the Portuguese national squad and his compatriots were able to bend the all-white dress rules in SW19 to pay tribute to the 28-year-old.
Cabral said: “I asked for permission to use the black ribbon and they let me play with it.
“It was an honour – it was not for the best reason. He was an inspiration not only for me but for the country in general.”
*****
In one of those ‘could only happen at Wimbledon’ moments, Amanda Anisimova was interrupted by the popping of a champagne cork during her third-round win on Court Three.
'It's the most #Wimbledon warning you've ever heard' 😂
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) July 4, 2025
It's been popping off at the tennis today 🍾 pic.twitter.com/K7SFduBRrP
The American was visibly annoyed and the umpire had to remind fans about their etiquette when players are about to serve.
Afterwards, the 13th seed said: “It kept happening. At some point I was, like, ‘Can everybody just do it on the changeover?’
“It was a bit rowdy on that court, too, because you could hear everyone on the sides that are, like, outside of the court. It was definitely a bit distracting.”
*****
Heavyweight British boxer Anthony Joshua and his promoter Eddie Hearn were present in the Royal Box on Friday, joined by former Match of the Day presenter Gary Lineker.
Dame Mary Berry, previously of The Great British Bake Off, was in attendance, and so too was Irish actress and writer Sharon Horgan, star of Bad Sisters and co-creator of Motherland.
Astronaut Major Tim Peake was another guest, with physicist and musician Brian Cox taking a seat alongside chef Marcus Wareing.
*****
Quote of the day
“I think every tennis player talks to themselves. That’s why we’re all kind of crazy.” – Naomi Osaka on her inner dialogue during her third-round loss to Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.
Picture of the day
Saturday’s match of the day
Novak Djokovic’s quest for a 25th grand slam title will continue on Centre Court, where the 38-year-old will face fellow Serbian Miomir Kecmanovic.
Both were born in Belgrade, with the 25-year-old Kecmanovic playing at the tournament for the fourth time and trying to better the third-round finish he achieved in both 2022 and 2024.
Djokovic knocked out his Davis Cup teammate the last time they met – in SW19 three years ago – and has won all three meetings.
And with Djokovic stating that this tournament is likely to be his best chance of gaining the grand slam title he needs to surpass Margaret Court’s all-time record, Kecmanovic will require an inspired display to be the last Serb standing.
Saturday’s weather forecast
Overcast with highs of 22C, according to the Met Office.
