'I think England scored': Wimbledon crowd secretly watches football

Wimbledon maintains a strict policy against broadcasting World Cup matches on its grounds during the tennis Grand Slam, aiming to prevent any disruption to the prestigious tournament. However, this year, the passion for football proved difficult to contain.

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Was there a football match? I didn't know that.

During the second round match between Barbora Krejcikova and Mirra Andreeva, the Centre Court crowd erupted in cheers on three separate occasions. These outbursts were not related to the tennis but to England's World Cup match against Congo DR. The loudest cheers coincided with Harry Kane scoring two goals, helping England secure a 2-1 victory.

Spectators, particularly those gathered on Henman Hill, were seen discreetly following the football game on their mobile devices. While the All England Club's chief executive, Sally Bolton, stated before the tournament that fans would not be prevented from watching on their phones, the audible reactions clearly seeped into the tennis proceedings.

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I thought it was for us. I wasn't really thinking that there is obviously a football game. I didn't really pay any attention to that … I was just focusing on serving, returning, playing my game.

Both Krejcikova and Andreeva expressed some confusion about the cheers. Andreeva, who ultimately lost the match, admitted she was unaware a football game was even happening. Krejcikova also initially assumed the cheers were related to their tennis match, stating she was focused solely on her game. The incident highlights the challenge of separating major sporting events when fans are deeply invested in multiple competitions.

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If people have got their phones, then we're not going to prevent people from watching the football.