Roger Federer and Kimi Antonelli Discuss Jannik Sinner

Andrea Kimi Antonelli was one of the most prominent VIPs at Wimbledon on Monday. The Mercedes driver, looking extremely elegant, watched the match between Jasmine Paolini and Alex Eala of the Philippines from the Royal Box on Center Court at the All England Club; the Italian won in three sets.

The rising star of Formula 1 chatted at length in the stands with tennis legend Roger Federer, who also arrived on Monday for the final week of the London Grand Slam. The two even stole the show on social media, with Federer challenging him to a go-kart race: “And let’s play tennis, too—you have to teach me the backhand…,” Kimi replied.

“One-handed or two-handed?” “I prefer one-handed, like your style, but it’s harder.” “I think so too, because you have to combine power, control, and relaxation. It’s a bit of a combination, but I’ll teach you anyway.” Then the eight-time Wimbledon champion from Switzerland concluded with a joke: “Then ask Jannik about the two-handed backhand—don’t ask me…”

Antonelli’s visit to the All England Club was also an opportunity to greet the world No. 1, whom he met after a training session. The Bologna native was also able to watch Jasmine Paolini’s victory over Alexandra Eala live, with a score of 6-4, 4-6, 6-3. Paolini advanced to the quarterfinals, where she will face Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk.

The London stop comes at a delicate time for Antonelli on the Formula 1 front. The Silverstone weekend ended on a sour note for the Mercedes driver: with ten laps to go, he was in the thick of the battle for the win, before a problem with his Mercedes forced him to return to the pits and relegated him to a final 16th-place finish. Charles Leclerc in his Ferrari took the win, with Lewis Hamilton finishing third on the podium. Despite effectively retiring at Silverstone, Antonelli retains the lead in the Formula 1 World Championship with 179 points, holding a 25-point advantage over his teammate George Russell.