Video: Wimbledon Crowd Erupts During Djokovic Match as England Advances at Euro 2024

Jack MurrayJuly 6, 2024

Clive Brunskill/Getty Images

The crowd at Wimbledon on Saturday had more than just excellent tennis on their mind.

During Novak Djokovic’s third-round match against Alexei Popyrin, the crowd erupted after hearing the news that England’s national team had defeated Switzerland in a penalty shootout to advance to the Euro 2024 semifinals.

B/R Football @brfootballWimbledon knew exactly when England won their shootout against Switzerland 🔈

(via @Wimbledon) pic.twitter.com/0stJdo2NDI

The cheering caused a brief delay in the match, and both Djokovic and Popyrin flashed smiles. Djokovic also simulated a kicking motion during the break.

England was knotted at one with Switzerland after extra time but converted all five of its penalties to punch a ticket to the semifinals. It was not the only quarterfinal match that advanced to penalty kicks, as Friday’s clash between France and Portugal saw Kylian Mbappé and Co. advance after a scoreless 120 minutes.

This is the fourth time England has advanced to the Euro semifinals. It also advanced in 1968, 1996 and 2021, and only earned a victory in the round during the last installment of the tournament before falling to Italy in the final.

The English will look to build on the victory and inch closer to the final when it faces the Netherlands or Türkiye. That game is scheduled for July 10, so the Wimbledon quarterfinals could see a similar disruption.