Max Verstappen was relieved to finish second at the British Grand Prix after fearing he might slide as low as fifth or sixth on a difficult weekend for Red Bull.
An emotional Lewis Hamilton claimed his first win since 2021, triumphing at Silverstone for a record-extending ninth time, after team-mate George Russell was forced to retire from pole.
Hamilton fought off a late challenge from old rival Verstappen to take the spoils, with the reigning world champion having struggled for pace in wet conditions.
After starting 2024 with seven wins in 10 races, Verstappen has won just two of the last five with both Mercedes and McLaren upping the pressure on Red Bull.
After Sunday's race, however, his main emotion was relief.
"We just didn't have the pace today," Verstappen told reporters in parc ferme. "I was just steadily dropping back when it mattered in the beginning, so it didn't look great.
"At some point I was really thinking, 'Are we going to finish fifth, sixth?' But we made the right calls, I think it was the right lap every time.
"At the end, the call from the team to be on the hard tyre instead of the soft was definitely helping me out.
"We finished second today, so it could've been a lot worse, but we're making the right calls – we're still onto the podium and I'm of course very happy with that."
Verstappen's team-mate Sergio Perez finished 17th as his miserable run of form continued – he has now failed to make the top six at six straight races.
It was also a difficult day for the two Ferraris, with Carlos Sainz coming in fifth and Charles Leclerc struggling with worn tyres in heavy rain as he finished 14th.
Leclerc has one fifth-place finish in his last four outings, also retiring in Canada and toiling to an 11th-placed finish in Austria last week.
"It was clearly the wrong strategy. I'll look into it. Obviously, with the message I got and the information I had in the car, I felt like it was the right one," he said of his tyre selection.
"This period is very hard. I don't really have the words to explain it, but it's been four races that it's been worse than a nightmare. I hope we can come back soon."
Carlos Alcaraz is hopeful his win over France's Ugo Humbert can inspire Spain's football team ahead of facing Les Bleus in their Euro 2024 semi-final on Tuesday.
Alcaraz edged closer to defending his Wimbledon crown with a 6-3 6-4 1-6 7-5 win over Humbert in a hard-fought triumph on Centre Court.
The world number three's quarter-final match takes place on the same day as France's encounter with Spain in Munich, and may be unable to watch the action unfold.
But Alcaraz played his part in SW19, and his hoping La Roja, who have won all of their games at the tournament, will follow suit.
"Hopefully they're going to get the same result as me today," Alcaraz said.
"I won in the tennis part, so hopefully the Spanish team are going to win the football part."
Alcaraz was unable to watch the first half of Spain's clash with hosts Germany on Friday after edging Frances Tiafoe in a five-set thriller.
The three-time grand slam champion needed three hours and 51 minutes to dispatch the American, but was able to witness Mikel Merino's late winner in Stuttgart.
With Tommy Paul up next in the quarter-finals, the Spaniard is hopeful of getting the job done quicker this time to be able to watch Luis de la Fuente's side.
"The first thing is I am supporting Spain because it's Spain," he said. "I have a really good relationship with a few players of the team. In particular, with Alvaro Morata.
"He's a really good friend. So right now it's time to support them, as I know they supporting me when I'm playing matches or I'm playing tournaments. It's my turn.
"Hopefully on Tuesday we are not going to play at the same time. But let's see. Hopefully I will be able to see a little bit from the match."
Carlos Alcaraz is hopeful his win over France's Ugo Humbert can inspire Spain's football team ahead of facing Les Bleus in their Euro 2024 semi-final on Tuesday.
Alcaraz edged closer to defending his Wimbledon crown with a 6-3 6-4 1-6 7-5 win over Humbert in a hard-fought triumph on Centre Court.
The world number three's quarter-final match takes place on the same day as France's encounter with Spain in Munich, and may be unable to watch the action unfold.
But Alcaraz played his part in SW19, and his hoping La Roja, who have won all of their games at the tournament, will follow suit.
"Hopefully they're going to get the same result as me today," Alcaraz said.
"I won in the tennis part, so hopefully the Spanish team are going to win the football part."
Alcaraz was unable to watch the first half of Spain's clash with hosts Germany on Friday after edging Frances Tiafoe in a five-set thriller.
The three-time grand slam champion needed three hours and 51 minutes to dispatch the American, but was able to witness Mikel Merino's late winner in Stuttgart.
With Tommy Paul up next in the quarter-finals, the Spaniard is hopeful of getting the job done quicker this time to be able to watch Luis de la Fuente's side.
"The first thing is I am supporting Spain because it's Spain," he said. "I have a really good relationship with a few players of the team. In particular, with Alvaro Morata.
"He's a really good friend. So right now it's time to support them, as I know they supporting me when I'm playing matches or I'm playing tournaments. It's my turn.
"Hopefully on Tuesday we are not going to play at the same time. But let's see. Hopefully I will be able to see a little bit from the match."
Daniil Medvedev will face Jannik Sinner in the Wimbledon quarter-finals after his last-16 opponent Grigor Dimitrov was forced to retire due to injury on Sunday.
Dimitrov was 5-3 down in the opening set when he was forced off, having slipped five games into the contest.
The Bulgarian received treatment on his knee during a medical timeout but moved awkwardly when he attempted to continue and only lasted 35 minutes on No.1 Court.
While the 10th seed's tournament ended in frustrating fashion, fifth seed Medvedev advances to the last eight for the second time, having made the semi-finals last year.
He will face a huge test against Sinner, who beat Ben Shelton in straight sets in his own round-of-16 match.
The world number one has won 42 of his first 45 ATP Tour-level matches of the year, becoming just the fourth player to achieve that feat this century after Roger Federer (2005-06), Novak Djokovic (2011, 2015-16) and Rafael Nadal (2013, 2018).
Data Debrief: Medvedev out for revenge
Medvedev has won six of his previous 11 meetings with Sinner, but each of the Italian's five victories over him have come in their last five meetings.
The 2021 US Open champion will be eyeing revenge on Tuesday.
Emma Raducanu was stunned in the Wimbledon round of 16 as qualifier Lulu Sun claimed a remarkable victory to eliminate the Centre Court favourite on Sunday.
Raducanu needed a lengthy medical stoppage after extending too far and injuring her left knee in the opening game of the deciding set, but was unable to recover as Sun emerged a 6-2 5-7 6-2 victor.
Featuring in the fourth round of a major for the first time since her breakout 2021 season, Raducanu seemed caught up by the occasion as qualifier Sun raced into a 3-0 lead by breaking twice.
Raducanu fought back to break and reduce the deficit to 3-1, though again faltered on her serve as the world number 123 snatched the third break-point opportunity to move 5-2 up and then sealed the first set.
The 2021 US Open champion regained her composure in the second set, yet frustrations were clear when Raducanu failed to grasp two break points in Sun's second serving game.
Home favourite Raducanu channelled those frustrations into her efforts, however, entertaining the crowd with a delicate drop shot before lobbing her opponent en route to levelling at 1-1.
That second-set marathon lasted a mammoth one hour and 13 minutes, and there was cause for concern when Raducanu slipped after stretching to her right, jarring her left knee in the opening game of the decider.
The 21-year-old required a three-minute medical time-out as Centre Court fell into a hesitant silence, but the crowd erupted as the Brit was able to continue, smashing an ace on the first point of her return.
Celebrations were short-lived, however, as Sun broke Raducanu's opening service game and never looked back. She saw one match point come and go, but made no mistake when the second one came around.
The winner plays Donna Vekic, who beat Paula Badosa.
World number 123 Sun is the only qualifier still in the women's singles, and impressed on her Centre Court bow.
Data Debrief: Sun's dream Wimbledon run continues
Sun became the seventh qualifier to make the women’s singles quarter-finals at Wimbledon in the Open Era after Carina Karlsson (1984), Molly Van Nostrand (1985), Alexandra Stevenson (1999), Jelena Dokic (1999), Roberta Beltrame (2006) and Kaia Kanepi (2010).
Sun is also the second-lowest ranked (#123) player in the last 15 editions of the tournament to make the women’s singles quarter-finals at the Championships - ranked higher only than Serena Williams in 2018 (#181).
The New Zealander impressed on her Centre Court debut, scoring 50 winners along with converting five break points.
Lando Norris said he is "fed up" of making excuses despite claiming a seventh podium finish of the season at the British Grand Prix on Sunday.
Norris started and finished the race in third place as Lewis Hamilton claimed a record-extending ninth win at Silverstone ahead of Max Verstappen in second.
But a combination of poor tyre strategy and a slow pit stop proved to be Norris' downfall, as he fell further behind Verstappen in the driver's championship.
Having had the fastest car in recent weeks, the McLaren driver once again failed to make that advantage count and was disappointed with his performance.
"I'm fed up with just saying I should have done better and I should have done this and I could have done that, or whatever," Norris said. "So I don't care if it takes time.
"I don't want it to take time. I should be doing it now. We should be winning now. I should be making better decisions than what I'm making.
"So, I'm just disappointed. When it's a win in Formula One, I'm not going to settle for something less when we should have achieved it."
Despite his obvious frustration, Norris remained gracious in defeat as he praised Hamilton on his first victory since the Saudi Arabia Grand Prix in 2021.
Norris admitted the seven-time world champion's know-how on when to pit won the veteran the race and gave him the edge.
"That's just driver feel and driver knowledge of when to box, and Lewis did a better job than me on that side," Norris conceded.
Hamilton's victory saw him become the first driver in history to win in 16 different years in the competition.
The Brit is now the 12th oldest driver to win in Formula 1 at 39 years and six months old, and set the record for the longest interval between first and last victory, both in terms of time (17 years and 27 days) and Grand Prix's (338) since Canada in 2007.
Jannik Sinner breezed into the Wimbledon quarter-finals after easing past Ben Shelton in straight sets on Sunday.
The world number one produced arguably his best performance at the grass-court major this year, cruising to a 6-2 6-4 7-6 (11-9) victory on a jam-packed No.1 Court.
Sinner did not have to wait long for his first break against America's Shelton, winning on his opponent's serve to go 3-2 up and then repeating the trick to snatch a 5-2 lead before sealing the first set.
The 22-year-old needed just 29 minutes for that opening-set triumph against the 14th seed, who again struggled to hold his serve in the next set as Sinner reeled off seven games without response.
Shelton eventually ended that imperious Sinner streak by triumphing on his own serve, though the Italian remained perfect with the ball in hand to move within one set of victory.
Sinner lost the first three games of the third set, however, after an early Shelton break, only for the top seed to battle back in his usual fighting fashion.
Having squandered a set-point opportunity, Shelton collapsed to tee up a chaotic tie-break, where both players relinquished multiple chances during an eye-catching duel.
Shelton failed to take any of his three set-point chances, with Sinner also not grasping a match-point opening, though the latter eventually triumphed at the second time of asking.
Sinner's reward will be a last-eight meeting with either Grigor Dimitrov or world number five Daniil Medvedev.
Data Debrief: Super Sinner flying
Since 2000, Sinner is only the fourth player to win 42 or more of their opening 45 ATP matches of a season, along with Roger Federer (2005-06), Novak Djokovic (2011, 2015-16) and Rafael Nadal (2013, 2018).
He is also the fifth male aged under 23 in the past four decades to reach three consecutive quarter-finals at Wimbledon, along with Boris Becker (1988-90), Pete Sampras (1992-94), Andy Roddick (2003-05) and Nadal (2006-08).
The world number one is yet to lose any of his three round-of-16 clashes in SW19, reaching the last eight in 2022, the semi-finals a year later and recording this triumph on Sunday.
Carlos Alcaraz continued his defence of the Wimbledon crown with a hard-fought win over Ugo Humbert in the last 16, picking out his "unbelievable" set point in the second set as the highlight.
Alcaraz withstood a late push from Humbert to win 6-3 6-4 1-6 7-5 and book his place in the last eight, where he will play Tommy Paul or Roberto Bautista Agut.
He was made to work for his two-set advantage on Centre Court, saving four break points in the fifth game of the second then breaking Humbert's resistance.
He showed remarkable athleticism on set point, recovering from a fall to sprint back to mid-court and tee up Humbert for a missed volley.
Alcaraz later found a second wind in the fourth set, smashing 17 winners to Humbert's 10 to get over the line.
Asked how he would describe his efforts on that earlier set point, Alcaraz said: "Unbelievable, I guess! I just try to fight for every ball.
"It doesn't matter which part of the court I am at, I just try to run to whichever part of the court I am on, giving myself the chance to stay alive in the point.
"Set point was a really important point for me so I had to show the opponent that whatever shot he hits, I will be there.
"That's me, I will be there, fighting until the last ball and sometimes it is a good point like this one and sometimes I lose it, but the main thing is just to fight."
Data Debrief: Alcaraz continues grand slam love story
Alcaraz's triumph saw him reach a ninth men's singles quarter-final from 14 grand slam draws entered - the most of any player who began their career in the Open Era through their first 14 participations.
The Spaniard also maintained his winning streak at grand slams, having now won 11 matches in a row following his French Open triumph last month.
But there will be room for improvement for Alcaraz, who uncharacteristically served six double faults throughout the contest, compared to Hubert's one.
Lewis Hamilton found comfort in digging deep from "the bottom of the barrel" after doubting his ability before his historic British Grand Prix victory on Sunday.
The seven-time world champion had not triumphed in Formula One since December 2021 at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, but ended a 945-day wait for success with a record-extending win at Silverstone.
Mercedes driver Hamilton held off a late charge from championship leader Max Verstappen, clinching his ninth win at this event and breaking the record for the most F1 victories at a single race.
Having struggled throughout the last three years, an emotional Hamilton acknowledged the challenging period had taken its toll.
"It's so tough, I think for anyone, but the important thing is how you continue to get up and you've got to continue to dig deep even when you feel like you're at the bottom of the barrel," Hamilton told Sky Sports.
"There have definitely been days between 2021 and here where I didn't feel like I was good enough or I was going to get back to where I am today.
"But the important thing is I had great people around me, continuing to support me. My team, every time I turned up and saw them putting in the effort really encouraged me to do the same thing.
"Otherwise, my fans, when I see them around the world, they have been so supportive. So a big, big thank you to everybody."
This victory marked Hamilton's final home race as a Mercedes driver, as he prepares to join Ferrari at the end of the season.
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff cut another emotional figure after a fitting farewell at Silverstone.
"Fantastic. You couldn't have written it better for our farewell at the British Grand Prix. That was great," Wolff said on Sky Sports.
"He had some difficult times recently. Then, some faultless driving in various conditions.
"I really enjoyed us bouncing back. We were one and two for a long time in the dry. Performance-wise, it looks like we are coming back."
Mercedes' improvements have been impressive in recent weeks, and the team have now won back-to-back races for the first time since 2021 between Sao Paulo and Saudi Arabia (all three won by Hamilton).
That pair of victories are their only two this season, however, as Mercedes remain fourth in the championship, behind leaders Red Bull, Ferrari and McLaren.
Lewis Hamilton ended his three-year wait for a Formula One victory after claiming a record-extending ninth British Grand Prix triumph on Sunday.
The seven-time world champion rolled back the years as he fended off a late challenge from Max Verstappen to emerge victorious.
Hamilton's Mercedes team-mate George Russell started on pole before Lando Norris snatched the lead, but pitstops proved pivotal in challenging conditions at Silverstone.
Russell's hopes of claiming back-to-back victories were dashed when a water system issue forced him to retire on lap 34.
Verstappen, who had struggled for pace through much of a race that was hit by two separate periods of rain, came on strong in the closing stages but it proved too little, too late for the defending world champion.
It marked Hamilton's 104th victory of his glittering career, and his first triumph since the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix back in December 2021, ending a 945-day period without success.
Norris continued his pursuit of Verstappen in the driver's championship as he claimed the final podium place, with his McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri in fourth.
Ferrari's Carlos Sainz finished in fifth as Nico Hulkenburg impressed again for Haas, finishing a place behind.
Data Debrief: Hamilton silver patch at Silverstone continued
Hamilton achieved a remarkable feat with this victory, surpassing his own eight-win record in Hungary and Michael Schumacher (also eight) in France for the most victories at a single event in F1 history.
Mercedes' improvements have been impressive in recent weeks, and the team have now won back-to-back races for the first time since 2021 between Sao Paulo and Saudi Arabia (all three won by Hamilton).
Both Russell and Norris will have to wait another year to become the 36th driver to win a home Grand Prix, however, as Hamilton's silver patch at Silverstone continued.
Though not successful for Verstappen, the championship leader still overtook Alain Prost and Fernando Alonso (both 106) for the fourth-most podium individual finishes in F1 history.
Top 10
1. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
2. Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
3. Lando Norris (McLaren)
4. Oscar Piastri (McLaren)
5. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari)
6. Nico Hulkenberg (Haas)
7. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin)
8. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin)
9. Alex Albon (Williams)
10. Yuki Tsunoda (RB)
CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS
Drivers
1. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) – 255 points
2. Lando Norris (McLaren) – 171
3. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) – 150
Constructors
1. Red Bull – 373
2. Ferrari – 302
3. McLaren – 295
Jasmine Paolini advanced to her first Wimbledon quarter-final after an entertaining clash with Madison Keys was cut short when the 12th seed retired injured on Sunday.
French Open finalist Paolini progressed to the last eight with a 6-3 6-7 (6-7) 5-5 victory, though the Italian was on the brink of an exit before that.
The seventh seed trailed 5-2 in the deciding set before dragging back into the contest by winning two games, with Keys then calling for the physio and a medical time-out due to a thigh issue.
American Keys was visibly distraught after leaving the court for treatment, returning to concede another game and struggling to serve before retiring with the game finely poised.
Paolini will now face either Emma Navarro or Coco Gauff in the quarter-finals at SW19.
Data Debrief: Paolini's Italian pride
Paolini became the first Italian in the Open Era to reach the women's singles quarter-final at Wimbledon and Roland-Garros in the same season, having fallen in the French Open final to Iga Swiatek.
Having never won a match at Wimbledon before this year, Paolini has now won four straight, though this triumph came in unwanted circumstances.
Keys is only the second player in the Open Era to retire in the third set of a women's singles round-of-16 clash at a major, after Julie Heldman progressed past Billie Jean King via retirement at the US Open in 1973.
In a thrilling encounter at John Cain Arena, the West Coast Fever edged out the Melbourne Vixens with a 68-67 victory, setting up a three-way tie atop the Suncorp Super Netball. This dramatic win, spearheaded by Jhaniele Fowler-Nembhard, has the Fever, Adelaide Thunderbirds, and Melbourne Vixens all tied in the standings heading into the final week of the regular season.
Fowler-Nembhard, the highest-rated player on the court, was exceptional, scoring 60 of her 61 attempts and keeping her cool in the dying moments to secure the victory. "My team came out here with one goal in mind and that was to fight really hard. Super proud of how we played in defence through to attack,” she said. “We want a top-two finish because we’ve been fighting so hard throughout the season. It would mean a lot for us. That’s what we’re gunning for.”
The Fever were impressive in their efficiency, making 74 shots from 76 feeds. Alice Teague-Neeld was outstanding with 25 goal assists and 29 feeds, combining strongly with centre Jess Anstiss, whose defensive efforts were crucial. Wing defence Sunday Aryang also stood out with a match-high three intercepts, matching the total intercepts of the entire Vixens side.
Despite several late super shot attempts by the Vixens, the Fever's solid defence, particularly from Fran Williams and Kadie-Ann Dehaney, proved too much. The Vixens' shooting pair, Sophie Garbin and Kiera Austin, struggled under the pressure, committing five turnovers each, leading to a second straight defeat for the Vixens against top contenders.
Meanwhile, the Adelaide Thunderbirds secured a decisive 60-48 victory over the NSW Swifts in Sydney, propelling them to the top of the Super Netball ladder. The Swifts, who have now lost seven consecutive matches, put up a strong fight but could not overcome the Thunderbirds' relentless defence.
Shamera Sterling-Humphrey, named MVP, was a defensive powerhouse, blocking multiple attempts and restricting the Swifts to just 62 per cent shooting accuracy early on. Despite some strong individual performances, including Romelda Aiken-George’s 43/46 scoring, the Swifts could not match the Thunderbirds' intensity.
Looking ahead, the final round of the regular season promises high stakes as teams jostle for the top two spots, which guarantees a crucial finals double chance. The Vixens will face the Queensland Firebirds in Brisbane, while the Fever will host the Melbourne Mavericks. All eyes will then turn to the Adelaide Thunderbirds, who will take on the Sunshine Coast Lightning at home, to determine the final ladder positions.
Ben Rice became the first Yankees rookie to hit three home runs in a game and had a career-high seven RBIs in New York’s 14-4 drubbing of the Boston Red Sox on Saturday.
Rice led off the bottom of the first with a long homer off Josh Winckowski, added a three-run shot off Chase Anderson during a seven-run fifth and took Anderson deep again in the seventh for another three-run blast.
Rice entered the game with one home run in his first 46 major league at-bats.
The Yankees snapped a four-game losing streak and won for just the fourth time in 16 games.
The 14-hit attack bailed out Gerrit Cole, who allowed seven hits and four runs over 4 1/3 innings with eight strikeouts and two walks.
Rafael Devers homered off Cole and had an RBI single in the third for his 1,000th career hit.
Boston was bidding for a season-high sixth straight win.
Twins’ Miranda ties record with hits in 12 straight at-bats
Jose Miranda tied a major league record with hits in 12 consecutive plate appearances and the Minnesota Twins got home runs from Byron Buxton and Brooks Lee in a 9-3 victory over the Houston Astros.
Miranda entered with the team record of hits in 10 straight at-bats and was hit by a pitch in his first plate appearance. He then singled in his first two official at-bats to match the MLB record set by the Chicago Cubs’ Johnny King (1902) and matched by Boston’s Pinky Higgins (1938) and Detroit’s Walt Dropo (1952).
Miranda’s streak ended in the sixth inning on a routine flyout to left field.
Willi Castro added three hits for the Twins, who have won seven of 10.
Every Minnesota starter had at least one hit by the fourth inning. Lee hit a two-run homer for the first of his major league career in the third to put the Twins up 7-1.
Jon Singleton belted a three-run homer for Houston, which lost for only the third time in 16 games.
Wood’s big day powers Nationals to rout
Top prospect James Wood hit his first major league home run and drove in a career-high five runs to lead the Washington Nationals to a 14-6 rout of the St. Louis Cardinals.
Wood hit a 383-foot, three-run opposite field homer in the second inning to put the Nationals ahead 7-0. He added a two-run double in the third for his fifth RBI, tied for second all-time for a Washington rookie. Danny Espinosa had six RBIs on Sept. 6, 201.
Wood has reached based in all six games as a National, tied with Ian Desmond (2009) for second overall in club history.
The homer and double were his first extra-base hits at the major league level.
Keibert Ruiz and CJ Abrams also homered for Washington, which scored a season high in runs on 15 hits with three homers and four doubles to win for the third time in four games.
Lance Lynn was rocked for a career worst 11 runs and nine hits in 2 2/3 innings.
The Sacramento Kings have agreed on a sign-and-trade that will land them free agent guard DeMar DeRozan from the Chicago Bulls on a three-year, $74 million contract.
The Kings will send forward Harrison Barnes and an unprotected 2031 pick swap to the San Antonio Spurs and guard Chris Duarte, two second-round picks and cash to the Bulls, according to sources.
The first two seasons of DeRozan’s contract are fully guaranteed with a partial guarantee for the final year and includes $59 million in guaranteed money.
With the addition of DeRozan, the Kings have forged a formidable nucleus that includes All-Star guard De’Aaron Fox, All-Star center Domantas Sabonis and promising young forward Keegan Murray.
DeRozan is a six-time All-Star and is coming off an impressive three-year run with the Bulls and averaged 24 points on 48 percent shooting along with 4.5 rebounds and 5.3 assists in 2023-24.
He is a three-time All-NBA selection and has played for Toronto, San Antonio and Chicago across his 15 NBA seasons. He’s averaged 21.2 points, 4.4 rebounds and 4.1 assists in 1,110 career NBA games.
The 34-year-old may not be a No. 1 option anymore, but he won’t need to be on a Sacramento team loaded with weapons. DeRozan should flourish in a secondary scoring role with the Kings.
Sacramento was looking to do something after finishing ninth in the Western Conference last season with a 46-36 record.
DeRozan travelled to Sacramento on Saturday to meet with team officials and Kings coach Mike Brown, who signed an offseason contract extension. Brown led the franchise to back-to-back winning seasons for the first time since 2006.
Pep Guardiola enjoyed the Centre Court action at Wimbledon as Alexander Zverev sought an opportunity to entice the Manchester City manager to Bayern Munich.
Premier League title-winning coach Guardiola turned his attention away from football on Saturday, watching on as Zverev overcame Cameron Norrie in straight sets.
The Man City boss was joined by Arsenal Women and England captain Leah Williamson, as well as cricketing stars Jos Buttler and Joe Root in a star-studded lineup.
Yet Zverev was most interested in pointing out former Bayern boss Guardiola as the fourth seed urged the Spaniard back to Bavaria.
"For me and for all tennis players it's an honour to play on this beautiful Centre Court and in front of the Royal Box, we had so many sporting legends today," Zverev said.
"For me, Pep Guardiola, when I saw Pep I got so nervous for a few games. Thanks a lot for coming, it's a privilege to play.
"Last thing – Bayern Munich needs a coach. If you're tired of football you can coach me on a tennis court any time."
Zverev was not the only one to notice the football, though, as Novak Djokovic acknowledged the Centre Court crowd were following England's Euro 2024 penalty shoot-out victory over Switzerland.
Having lost the first set 6-4, seven-time Wimbledon champion Djokovic was leading 4-1 in the second when fans burst into applause, leaving both players briefly puzzled.
Yet the pair soon realised the crowd were celebrating England's quarter-final win over Switzerland, before Djokovic mimicked a penalty effort towards Alexei Popyrin.
"I assumed it was a penalty shoot-out between England and Switzerland," Djokovic explained after his 4-6 6-3 6-4 7-6 (7-3) win.
"It felt like for a set and a half the crowd really wanted to understand what the score was in the football match. Did England win in the end? That's why you guys stayed. Congrats to England.
"I tried to shoot a penalty, I'm left-footed, but Alexei defended it well!"
Lewis Hamilton said it was "incredible" to see home drivers take the top three places in British Grand Prix qualifying as he and George Russell led McLaren's Lando Norris.
Russell beat fellow Mercedes driver Hamilton to pole position by 0.171 seconds at Silverstone, with Norris 0.211 seconds off.
Three-time world champion Max Verstappen was fourth, damaging the floor of his Red Bull in a rain-affected first session and struggling from then on.
Coming just one week after Russell won the Austrian Grand Prix, the result provided further evidence of a Mercedes upturn following their miserable start to the year.
The Silver Arrows have seen both of their drivers finish inside the top four places at each of the last three races, and Hamilton believes improvements to the team's car have given them a great chance of holding off Norris in Sunday's race.
"Three Brits in the top three is incredible. George did such a great job. We didn't expect to be on the front row this weekend," he told Sky Sports.
"This is huge for our team. The car felt great, it was just about getting tyre temperatures in the right place.
"There was still time left on the table, which George managed to find. I feel really confident about the car tomorrow and I think with the conditions, we can work together to keep Lando behind."
Norris, who has seven podium finishes in the last nine races, was full of praise for Mercedes but admitted he had failed to hit the heights of recent weeks.
"It's tough. I think George and Lewis did a great job. For two cars to get there shows the team were also doing an amazing job," he said.
"It was super close. I think if I'd put in a good enough lap it was close and could've been a bit of a fight.
"But this team have been very quick all weekend, since FP1. We're there or thereabouts, but I just didn't deliver it today."
Novak Djokovic claimed his fourth-set tie-break against Alexei Popyrin was the best he has played this year after defeating the Australian at Wimbledon.
Djokovic came from a set down to beat Popyrin in four, confirming his place in the last 16 with a 3-6 6-3 6-4 7-6 (7-3) triumph. He will face Holger Rune next.
The world number two continued his record of having never lost to Popyrin in what was their third meeting, the previous one coming at the Australian Open earlier this year.
The Serbian praised Popyrin for his valiant effort, going on to admit the tie-break in the fourth saw him produce his highest level this year.
"It was another tough match. I didn’t expect anything less than what we experienced on the court today from Alexei," Djokovic said.
"I knew he was going to come to the match with confidence, a lot of self-belief. He was close to winning [when we played] in Australia earlier this year.
"With that serve and powerful forehand, he’s dangerous on any surface.
"I knew he was in form and he was going to come out believing he could win. He was the better player in the first set.
"I think I played a good second and third and the fourth was anybody’s game. He was serving very well. It was very difficult to read his serve.
"It was just a very challenging match, mentally as well, to hang in there. I'm not allowed to have big concentration lapses.
"I think I’ve done well in that regard in one of the best tie-breaks I’ve played this year, that’s for sure."
Data Debrief: Resilient Djokovic shows his class
While Djokovic was far from vintage in the first set, he showed the kind of resilience that we've seen throughout his career.
Djokovic became only the third player in the Open Era to achieve 50 Grand Slam match wins after turning 35, along with Ken Rosewall (64) and Roger Federer (62).
Iga Swiatek suffered a shock third-round exit at Wimbledon as the top seed fell to world number 35 Yulia Putintseva on Saturday.
Despite taking the first set, Swiatek was outclassed by the world number 35, falling to a 3-6 6-1 6-2 defeat on No. 1 Court.
The world number one had to wait until the eighth game to undo Putintseva, earning her first break point before closing out the set in dominant fashion.
Though many predicted Swiatek to hammer home her advantage, the Kazakh had other ideas.
Putintseva responded emphatically, cutting through Swiatek to battle into her first round of 16 at Wimbledon and first at any major since making the 2020 US Open quarter-finals.
Jelena Ostapenko awaits in the clash for a last-eight position on Monday after the Latvian needed just 59 minutes to win 6-1 6-3 against Bernarda Pera earlier in the day.
Data Debrief: Swiatek's Wimbledon hoodoo continues
Putintseva is the first women's player since Alison Riske against Ashleigh Barty in 2019 to win against the world number one at Wimbledon after losing the first set.
In stark contrast between the pair, Putintseva extended her win streak to eight matches after ending Swiatek's own run of 21 straight wins.
Swiatek still leaves the third major of the year with an outstanding 45-5 record on the season, yet grass-court tennis and Wimbledon remain a troublesome issue for the Pole.
George Russell said he could have only dreamt of securing pole position at the Silverstone but realised his fantasy on Saturday afternoon.
Russell edged Mercedes team-mate Lewis Hamilton and McLaren's Lando Norris to claim pole position at the British Grand Prix.
For the first-time ever at Silverstone, and the first time anywhere in F1 since 1968, the front three positions on Sunday's grid will be taken up by a trio of British drivers.
Russell beat Hamilton to pole position by 0.171 seconds with Norris, second to Russell after the first laps in the final session, 0.211secs off the pace after failing to complete his second lap.
Red Bull's Max Verstappen will start in fourth, with Norris' team-mate Oscar Piastri making up the top five.
“What a feeling, at the start of this year I don’t think we could of even dreamt of being on pole here, one-two for me and Lewis, and Lando it’s just mega," Russell said.
"It’s down to these fans as well they give us so much energy so thank you for that.
“The car at the moment is feeling so good, it really came alive in quali and what a joy to drive around this circuit.
"We are riding this wave at the moment and I’m absolutely buzzing, but eyes on tomorrow, we’ve got a race to win and it’s going to be tight with Lando, Max is going to be fast as well but I’m so excited right now.”
It was an afternoon to forget for Ferrari, with Carlos Sainz finishing seventh-fastest behind Haas' Nico Hulkenberg, with team-mate Charles Leclerc starting in 11th.
Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll finished in eighth, with Williams driver Alex Albon and Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso completing the top 10.
Verstappen's Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez will start at the back of the grid in 19th after spinning out in the first qualifying session.
Top 10
1. George Russell (Mercedes)
2. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
3. Lando Norris (McLaren)
4. Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
5. Oscar Piastri (McLaren)
6. Nico Hulkenberg (Haas)
7. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari)
8. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin)
9. Alex Albon (Williams)
10. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin)
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