Kohli compares Centre Court pressure to India-Pakistan clash

Virat Kohli shared admiration for Novak Djokovic and Wimbledon’s Centre Court atmosphere, calling it more intimidating than cricket’s biggest stages, while reflecting on high-pressure moments and his tennis fandom

Hyderabad: Former India captain and cricket legend Virat Kohli said he has been in touch with tennis great Novak Djokovic for a while now.

“We’ve exchanged messages, and he’s been very gracious and kind. I’d love to see Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz in the final — and I hope Novak wins this one. That would be a tremendous achievement at this stage of his career,” Kohli said.

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Kohli was exclusively interacting with Star Sports and JioCinema’s Wimbledon 2025 expert Vijay Amritraj, who was present along with Anushka Sharma to witness Djokovic take on Alex de Minaur on July 7. Kohli also shared his experiences of attending Wimbledon and revealed his admiration for Djokovic.

“He’s definitely in the conversation as one of the greatest of all time — if not the greatest — with the highest number of Grand Slam titles. He truly deserves it for all the hard work he’s put in. I really hope he plays Carlos in the final and wins,” he added.

Speaking about his first experience at Wimbledon, Kohli said it had been great to be back.

“Anushka and I came in 2015 — that was our first experience of being at the wonderful Centre Court. Just experiencing what Wimbledon truly is, is very special. We had always planned to come back, but for various reasons, we couldn’t make it happen. Now we have a bit of time on our hands, and here we are again,” Kohli explained.

Comparing Centre Court to Lord’s, Kohli said cricket stadiums also have pressure, but Centre Court felt more intense.

“There are amazing stadia around the world to play cricket, and there’s always a lot of pressure because so many people are watching. But I would say it’s not as intimidating as Centre Court because of the distance between players and spectators. When we’re batting, the fans are too far away, so you can get lost in your own space and do your own thing. You don’t really hear comments, cheers, or boos directly in your ears,” Kohli said.

“It’s only when you’re fielding at the boundary that you might hear them, but even then, there’s no pressure at that moment to succeed or fail with your individual skill. But in tennis, everything is on the line — a single point can change the game,” he explained.

“The pressure these players must feel, especially on Centre Court, is tremendous. I have a lot of respect for tennis players for being able to maintain composure, fitness, and mental strength. The pressure and intimidation factor here is on another level,” Kohli said.

“The only cricketing equivalent would be a high-intensity World Cup match — like an India-Pakistan clash or a semifinal or final — where your legs are literally shivering from the pressure. But these guys face that level of intensity from the quarterfinals all the way through to the finals, which is a lot to handle,” he added.

Speaking on mindset during high-pressure moments, Kohli said each sport has its own challenges.

“In cricket, one of the biggest is the waiting. You warm up in the morning, then sit in the changing room not knowing when you’ll bat — just waiting, anticipating, reading the game. In tennis, the situation is different. You know exactly what you’re walking into, and you have to pace the game from the very first minute,” Kohli said.

“Cricket is different in that regard — especially for a batter — because you only get one chance. One mistake and you’re done for the day. You spend the rest of it clapping from the sidelines. In tennis, you could be two sets down and still come back to win — and we’ve seen many champions do just that over the years,” he said.

“So while both sports are tough, I’d say this (tennis) is far more challenging in terms of intensity. If I were on the court with the crowd so close, I’d find it way too intimidating,” Kohli concluded.