Virat Kohli Watches Djokovic School Wimbledon, Again
Virat Kohli trades cricket whites for Centre Court seats — and calls him the Gladiator
At 38, Novak Djokovic is well past the point of proving anything to anyone. His legacy is already carved into the hallowed walls of Centre Court and beyond. Still, when he stepped out for his 100th Wimbledon match on Monday against Australia’s whippet-quick Alex de Minaur, he reminded everyone why routine, when performed at greatness-level, still stuns.
De Minaur took the first set 6–1, a momentary wobble that gave Centre Court’s sun-soaked spectators a flicker of upset fever. But Djokovic, ever the metronomic magician, recalibrated.
While the match saw De Minaur break Djokovic’s lead at a 33 per cent rate putting the legend in a tough spot at times, Djokovic found his rhythm and dismantled the Aussie’s resistance with brutal efficiency. Victory came in four sets.
Certainly, it is no surprise that centre court would let the centurion's milestone be a casual event. Rather, it audience was flooded with celebrity-filled box seat gallery who celebrated the historic milestone with the tennis player.
You may also like
Among the notables: Roger Federer (whose Wimbledon whites will forever be iconic), comedian Michael McIntyre, cricket commentator Harsha Bhogle making his Wimbledon debut in the audience, and, most intriguingly, India’s power couple—Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma.
Kohli, dressed in a crisp brown blazer, crisp white shirt and a blue necktie sported a post-IPL calm alongside wife Anushka Sharma. The Indian cricketer watched Djokovic with the intensity of a man who knows a thing or two about world-class sporting theatre.
His appearance at Centre Court caused a social media stir—not only because he's been a rare sight lately but also because it came just days after his shock retirement from Test cricket.
Yes, Virat Kohli, India’s most successful Test captain, announced his departure from the format that made him a legend. He walked away quietly, just before the squad for India’s five-Test series against England was announced, handing over the baton to the Shubhman Gill who led India to another historic victory recently with a stunning 430 in the Edgbaston Test.
For fans still digesting the news, seeing Kohli in the Wimbledon crowd, away from the crease, soaking up a different kind of spectacle, was surreal. Yet in a way, it felt right.
Fresh off winning his maiden IPL title with Royal Challengers Bengaluru in June 2025—a long-awaited redemption arc that even the most dramatic sportswriters couldn’t script—Kohli flew to London, perhaps seeking the kind of summer solace only SW19 can offer. Time with family, elegant tennis, and a reminder that greatness can also be a spectator sport.
You may also like
Kohli watched intently, flanked by wife Anushka Sharma, herself looking Wimbledon-ready in a classic white ensemble. The two seemed relaxed, even playful, caught on camera exchanging quiet observations between points. Kohli later posted an Instagram story with a single line that summed up the mood: “What a match. Business as usual for the gladiator. @djokernole.”
It’s a sentiment Djokovic himself might agree with. The Serb’s relationship with Wimbledon is no longer about titles. He has become far larger than that. Now it’s about legacy maintenance. Every match is a dance with inevitability and time. Every win, a quiet defiance of age.
Also, to everyone’s delight, the win against De Minaur also meant that the GOAT broke the curse of not winning against his opponents when Federer’s in the audience. The win was the first of the many that Djokovic joked about in the post-game conversation at the centre court.
Still, make no mistakes. Kohli may be done with red-ball cricket, but his instincts are far from dull. For Kohli, watching from the royal box rather than leading India in whites must’ve felt both strange and symbolic. Here was another champion, a year older, still pushing limits, still hungry.