Though Hugh Grant scored coveted seats to the 2025 Wimbledon Championships, he didn’t appear to be overly interested in the tennis match he was watching. In a moment that has since gone viral, the Notting Hill actor appeared to fall asleep. Although some fans could understand – to them, tennis isn’t necessarily the most riveting sport – others found it “disrespectful,” especially because Hugh was seated in the Royal Box, directly behind Queen Camilla.
Hugh and his wife, Swedish producer Anna Elisabet Eberstein, attended Wimbledon on July 9. During the Novak Djokovic vs. Flavio Cobolli match, Hugh seemingly dozed off. But some fans found the blunder “relatable” and said they probably would have done the same thing.
“Can’t blame the guy,” one person wrote on X. “Tennis is boring to watch.” Another person commented, “When ur old and rich u can do whatever u want.”
Hugh Grant fell asleep at Wimbledon. pic.twitter.com/Qn5gI5CFQL
— Film Updates (@FilmUpdates) July 9, 2025
But to others, Hugh’s nap was not “iconic” – or even acceptable. “am i the only one who thinks this is a bit disrespectful?” one critic wrote on X. “Bit of an etiquette faux pas,” a second person added. “However Hugh is virtually royalty at this point?”
Some critics pointed out that tennis fans struggle to get tickets, yet Hugh was able to get amazing seats and didn’t even seem to enjoy them.
“People have been queuing since 3am to get into Wimbledon to have a chance of being able to be at this match or even to watch it on the big screen in the grounds,” one person pointed out, per People. “And Hugh Grant slept through the tie break. Frankly, I think it is rude.”
Similarly, another person shared, “That’s a waste of a ticket someone else could have had.”
“Hugh Grant should never be invited to @Wimbledon again!” someone else asserted. “Disrespectful to the players and to the fans that would give everything to have that seat.”
But others maintained that it could happen to anyone.
According to the Wimbledon website, Royal Box invitations come from the chair of the All England Club. In addition to “British and overseas Royal Families,” the seats are offered to “heads of government, people from the world of tennis, commercial partners, British armed forces, prominent media organisations, supporters of British tennis and other walks of life.”
