Rory McIlroy’s behaviour has been called out (Image: Getty) This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more
The opening days of Wimbledon 2026 have already delivered a spectacular blend of high-octane tennis action, shocking upsets, and off-court drama that has captivated fans worldwide. As the finest players in the world converge on the pristine grass of SW19, the atmosphere around the All England Club has been absolutely electric.
Heavy favourites like Novak Djokovic and defending champion Jannik Sinner have already graced Centre Court – as has Serena Williams, whose highly anticipated comeback at age 44 ultimately ended in defeat. In the stands, the iconic Royal Box has been packed with sporting royalty, adding its trademark glamour to the fortnight. With drama already spilling well past the baselines, Express Sport is running through the latest Wimbledon-related headlines.
McIlroy’s sweet blunder
Northern Irish golfer Rory McIlroy found himself at the centre of an unusual controversy while attending Wimbledon with his wife, Erica Stoll. The newly-crowned Masters champion was spotted enjoying the action from the exclusive Royal Box alongside several of his European Ryder Cup team-mates.
However, his behaviour drew criticism when TV cameras caught a light-hearted yet cheeky moment during the match. A bucket of sweets was being passed around the prestigious seating area, but McIlroy appeared to swipe it away before his wife could grab a treat.
The incident did not escape the eagle eyes of BBC presenter Clare Balding, who immediately called out the golfer on air. She exclaimed: “Erica then! She’s just about to take one and he rips it away!”
McIlroy appeared to accidentally prevent wife Erica from grabbing a sweet (Image: BBC)Djokovic calls out McIlroy
Following his comfortable second-round victory over Stefanos Tsitsipas on Centre Court, Novak Djokovic stopped his post-match speech to address McIlroy, who had been proudly sporting his iconic Green Jacket in the crowd, which immediately drew the attention of the Serbian legend.
Djokovic congratulated the Ryder Cup hero on his career Grand Slam before jokingly challenging him to a match on the grass. The world No. 7 expressed his admiration for the historic jacket and playfully proposed a winner-takes-all tennis battle for it.
“Rory, what a beautiful jacket. Is that a Masters jacket? It must be. Round of applause for Rory for the Masters, please. I want that jacket. I’ll play you. This jacket for that jacket, we’ll play tennis! No golf,” Djokovic laughed.
Novak Djokovic challenged Rory McIlroy to a match (Image: Getty)Dress code violation
Spanish star Jessica Bouzas found herself in hot water with tournament officials despite securing a convincing first round victory. The 23-year-old comfortably defeated Anastasia Potapova on Court 17 before being locked in a lengthy discussion with the chair umpire.
The official gave Bouzas a stern telling off after noticing a visible breach of Wimbledon’s famously strict all-white dress code. It emerged that a black undershirt had become visible on the Spaniard’s lower back during the closing stages of her match.
Bouzas later admitted that SW19 officials are incredibly stringent regarding apparel and confirmed she would have to fix the issue before her next match. “A problem here is that they are very strict with many things,” Bouzas told Movistar Plus Deportes.
“I think it was a bit of black here, and you can’t do that, so I will have to sort it out. But yes, they are very strict with things like this, so now I’ll see how I can fix it.”
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