Many regard SW9’s grass courts as sacred ground, but for some playing at Wimbledon this week, could there be something else fuelling their sporting success? From Novak Djokovic to Aryna Sabalenka, Tim Bechervaise explores the Christian faith of some of tennis’ biggest names
I can recall a time when it felt that there was just one Christian among the different sports we loved. In football, it was Gavin Peacock. In athletics, it was triple-jumper Jonathan Edwards, and in tennis it was the ultra-cool Andre Agassi.
It’s difficult to know whether this was more perception than reality, particularly with social media now making it easier to know more about the sports stars we love. But whatever the truth, it now feels rare for a major sporting tournament to not feature at least a handful of Christians – and that includes Wimbledon, which concludes this weekend.
The tournament features a few players who appear to have a faith. Here’s our roundup.
Coco Gauff
US tennis star Coco Gauff hasn’t had the best Wimbledon. She exited in the first round this year - a very different story to 2019, when she burst onto the scene as a 15-year-old and beat Venus Williams.
Following her French Open triumph in June, the world number two took to Instagram to thank God. Perhaps more notable was her mother, who was seen praying moments before her daughter secured victory.
@tntsports Coco Gauff's mum was praying for her victory during the Championship point at Roland-Garros ❤️ #RolandGarros #tennis ♬ original sound - TNT Sports
Prayer is also a prominent feature of Gauff’s tennis routine. “Before every match since I was eight, my dad and I say a prayer together,” she said. “We don’t really pray about victory, just that me and my opponent stay safe.”
Gauff, who attends church in Florida, took to her knees in prayer after winning the US Open in 2023. “I realised God puts you through trials,” she said. “This makes this moment even sweeter than I could imagine.” After winning the Cincinnati Open, she said: “I’d like to thank my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. I spent a lot of nights alone crying trying to figure it out. I still have a lot to figure out, but I thank him for covering me.”
Novak Djokovic
The Serbian is one the world’s greatest ever tennis players, but what’s lesser known is his Orthodox faith.
Sharing his top ten essentials with GQ magazine, Djokovic had some surprising inclusions – a prayer book and prayer beads. “I’m a man of faith and I believe in the divine power and divine intervention,” he revealed.
The Serb is often seen wearing a wooden cross around his neck and is involved in different charitable endeavours, including owning a restaurant that gives meals to homeless people. He once said: “Before I am an athlete, I’m an Orthodox Christian.”
Aryna Sabalenka
Watching Wimbledon this year, you might have spotted world number one Aryna Sabalenka kneeling and appearing to thank God after matches.
Earlier this year, she shared how faith has helped her cope with the death of her father, Sergey, to meningitis in 2019. “When I lost my dad, from time to time, I would go to the church and put a candle for his memory and the memory of my grandfather,” she told Flaunt magazine. However, she added that she’s unlikely to share this side of her life publicly: “It’s something you never show on social media. I’m not gonna be the one in the church filming,” she said.
Whenever she attends church, it’s likely she’s joined by her boyfriend, Georgios Frangulis, the founder of the acai-based food outlet Oakberry. Speaking to Forbes Brazil, he said: “I go to church a lot, talking to God does me good. I was influenced by both branches of the family. The spiritual side has always been important to me as well as intuition.”
Emma Raducanu
In her spirited performance against Sabalenka in round three of this year’s Wimbledon, Raducana wore a cross around her neck, as she often does while playing tennis.
A lovely story emerged last year when Raducanu’s grandmother, a devout Christian, explained in an interview how she finds out how her granddaughter is getting on. “When I go to church, the priest informs me of her latest news because I don’t have cable TV,” said Niculina, who lives in Bucharest.
Whilst Raducanu’s own faith is less clear, it would appear that the spiritual influence of her “Mamiya” is one she holds dear.
Ben Shelton
Reaching the quarter-finals of Wimbledon this year was the American Ben Shelton, whose Instagram bio features the cross emoji and the word “B E L I E V E”. Earlier this year, he shared a montage of photos with the caption, “Put in the work, let God do the rest.”
Ben’s father, Bryan, was previously head coach of the men’s tennis team at the University of Florida. A former tennis player himself, when he stepped down from his position in 2023 to support his son’s career, he wrote an an open letter to the team, in which he thanked his wife Lisa, saying: “so much of our success stems from her tireless dedication, wisdom and especially her faith. Her example has inspired our family to always strive to treat others with respect and to make the most of the gifts God has given us… God has blessed our family in so many ways.”
Anyone else?
Christopher Eubanks, the son of a pastor, shot to fame with a surprising run to the Wimbledon quarter-finals in 2023. Speaking to NBC’s The Today Show afterwards, he said: “It’s amazing when I just take a step back and just allow my faith in it, and in the process, and just my faith in general to just take over, good things started to happen.”
He went out in the first-round this year, as did fellow American Alycia Parks in the women’s doubles. Her Instagram bio reads, “God’s Warrior #walkingbyfaith” and references Psalm 46:5: “God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at break of day.”
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