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The top 10 Wimbledon perfect serves

06 July 2023 By James Evison

The Wimbledon Championship has always delivered great serves — and it turns out tennis legends like a perfect serve for their drinks too, as db discovers.

Roger Federer

Moët and Chandon made R-Fed a brand ambassador in 2012 and he has a history of loving Champagne, as this picture attests…and in 2018, Moët also produced £20k limited-edition magnums to celebrate Federer’s 20 grand slam victories.

Last year, R-fed was asked about his favourite wine, and he talked about the 2009 Cos d’Estournel, from St Estèphe, Bordeaux. Berry Bros & Rudd describes the 2009 vintage as “astounding”, but for Federer it has personal significance: “It was an emotional year, we got married and the girls were born. At that time I bought many cases of this Bordeaux.”

Andy Murray

British tennis legend Sir Andy Murray has something of an on-off relationship with alcohol. In 2009, he said that he had given up alcohol after a “hangover from hell” in Barcelona as a 16 year old, before then showing himself on Instagram in 2018 downing Champagne and beers after a challenging year on the court.

Then last year he got into a Twitter discussion with fellow player Benoit Paire after replying to Ricky Gervais’ tweet about “you can lose three things”, and putting alcohol top of the list. Benoit replied that alcohol is “the most important” and “even more for a Scottish (person)”.

Serena Williams

Wimbledon legend Serena Williams recently appeared in a Superbowl advert for Rémy Martin, through its “Team Up for Excellence” brand theme, but when it comes to her personal preferences on booze, she said that she was a “glass of wine girl”.

In an interview with Bon Appétit in 2013, Williams said she wasn’t a wine “snob” though, stating that although she likes French wines, she will also buy a cheaper Riesling from the local store.

In 2018, Serena also added another string to her bow: she won the beer pong contest at the royal wedding after-party.

Venus Williams

Serena’s older sister also works with several drinks brands, including Ketel One, and has declared her preference for its botanical vodka canned spritzes, which she has said are a “light and refreshing” summer drink.

Venus has also said she likes a glass of wine but told Essentially Sports: “If I could have wine every day, I definitely would but I don’t. Because I like my waist, I like having a waist.”

Nick Kyrgios

Aussie player Kyrgios has a penchant for drinking beers on court, questioning other people’s beer consumption, and has been captured in a press conference downing a Stella Artois in six seconds…

Novak Djokovic

Teetotaller Novak Djokovic said he was forced by his coach to down a beer at the Wimbledon Championships last year, but alcohol is closer to Novak than this story would suggest.

Last year, he entered the world of wine, releasing two labels to market with his family-owned winery. Djokovic Syrah 2020 and Djokovic Chardonnay 2020 appeared in wine shops and on restaurant wine lists in Serbia at the end of last year.

Rafael Nadal

As well as saying he likes a glass of wine, Rafa told Marca in 2020 that he liked to party, and he liked Tequila. Rafa also likes a glass of low- and no-alcohol beer, as this image of him fronting Amstel’s 0.0% campaign shows.

Jessica Pegula

Last year, American tennis star Jessica Pegula casually drank from a can of Heineken during her press conference after defeat at the US Open.

She said that she did it as she needed to be hydrated for a drugs test…but did also admit that it helped after her loss to world number one, Iga Swiatek.

Maria Sharapova

Former world number one Maria Sharapova admitted that she was drinking more as she entered retirement, and in 2021 became a brand ambassador for Basil Hayden’s bourbon, explaining that her favourite drink was a Whiskey Sour cocktail.