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Germany’s Alexander Zverev presented Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola with the chance to be his coach on Saturday, and asked the six-time Premier League winner to return to Bayern Munich on Saturday after the Spaniard saw him triumph in the fourth round of Wimbledon.
Fourth-seeded Zverev watched through a royal box full of the sport’s greats, including Guardiola, as he battled Cameron Norrie, winning the first two sets 6-4 and then surviving a 32-point tiebreak in the third set to triumph.
Speaking on Centre Court, Zverev said seeing the former Bayern coach in the front row of the royal box made him nervous, even though his game was dazzling.
“For me and for all tennis players, it is an honor to play on this beautiful center court and in front of the Royal Box, today we had so many legends of the sport,” Zverev said.
“For me, Pep Guardiola, when I saw Pep, I got very nervous during some games. Thank you very much for coming, it is a privilege to play. Finally, Bayern Munich wants a coach. If you’re fed up with football, you can work out on a tennis court at any time. “
Guardiola, who led Manchester City to their fourth consecutive Premier League title last season, was joined by Indian cricket master Sachin Tendulkar, marvellous British cyclist Chris Hoy and Olympic heptathlon gold medallist Jessica Ennis-Hill.
The middle Saturday is the classic day at Wimbledon where the stars of the sport go further and to the Royal Box.
Zverev, a football fan and die-hard Bayern Munich fan, met with Guardiola after the game. The City coach asked him about the knee injury he suffered in the second set against Norrie.
Olympic champion Zverev was positive about it, as he hoped to succeed in the quarterfinals for the first time.
Bayern recently appointed Vincent Kompany, Guardiola’s former captain at Manchester City, as their coach after he ended his 11-year reign as Bundesliga champions through Bayer Leverkusen.