"You don't hear comments, the cheers or the boos" - Virat Kohli makes stunning comparison between cricket and tennis on sidelines of Wimbledon 2025

Star Indian batter Virat Kohli opened up on the difference in pressure between playing cricket and tennis on the sidelines of the ongoing Wimbledon 2025. The 36-year-old was present at the All England Lawn Tennis Club on Day 8 of the Championships to watch the Round of 16 match between Novak Djokovic and Alex de Minaur on Monday, July 7.

It was Kohli's first public appearance since the unfortunate Bengaluru stampede after the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) won IPL 2025. The champion cricketer was last seen on the cricket field when RCB defeated Punjab Kings (PBKS) in the IPL 2025 finale.

Talking on the Star Sports network about the differences between his sport and tennis on the sidelines of Wimbledon 2025 yesterday, Kohli said (via News18):

"It’s a lot of pressure (cricket) because there are so many people in the stadium. But I’d say that it’s not as intimidating as the Centre Court because of the distance people are sitting from you. When we are batting on the pitch, the fans are too far away, so you can get lost in your space and do your own thing. You don’t hear comments, the cheers or the boos straight in your ears, it’s only when you are fielding on the boundary but you don’t have the pressure of succeeding or failing with your individual skill."

He added:

"But here, everything’s on the line and can change with a point in tennis. The pressure these guys must be feeling… playing on the Centre Court must be tremendous. I have lot of respect for tennis players for that reason — maintaining composure, fitness, and mental strength, it’s truly remarkable."

Coming to the action on the center court, Djokovic won a hard-fought contest against De Minaur with a 1-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 scoreline. The seven-time Wimbledon champion advanced to the quarterfinals, where he will take on Flavio Cobolli.

"India-Pakistan World Cup game or the semi-final or a final" - Virat Kohli

Virat Kohli believes only an India-Pakistan clash or a World Cup knockout match can come close to the pressures of playing a Tennis match on center court. The veteran batter has been part of several big games throughout his career, including the 2011 ODI World Cup, which was held at home, where India won the trophy.

"The experience can be similar but the intimidation factor and the factor, I would say, could only be replicated for us in very peak kind of World Cup games, like an India-Pakistan World Cup game or the semi-final or a final where your legs are shivering because of sheer pressure. These guys must be facing that from the quarter-final onwards till the final, which I think is a lot of pressure onwards," said Kohli (via the aforementioned source).

Kohli retired from Tests in May, having already retired from T20Is after the 2024 World Cup in the West Indies and the USA. He will continue to play ODIs for India.