Junior Nsemba makes Wimbledon guest appearance as Wigan Warriors star helps spread rugby league gospel
Wigan Warriors star Junior Nsemba was invited down to Wimbledon as a guest earlier this week, helping spread the word of rugby league.
The 21-year-old forward attended Wimbledon, which is the oldest tennis tournament in the world and is widely regarded as the most prestigious.
Nsemba watched from the sidelines as two-time defending champion Carlos Alcaraz avoided a shock against Italian veteran Fabio Fognini in the first round to set up a meeting with British qualifier Oliver Tarvet.
Speaking to Sky Sports upon his arrival at Wimbledon, Nsemba said: “It’s sunny and it’s a good day to be watching some tennis, I’m grateful to be here.
"I’ve heard a bit about Alcaraz, ranked number two, he’s a good player; I’ve seen him on TikTok more times than anything! Hopefully, he’ll put on a show.”
Nsemba is quickly becoming a household name in rugby league, and was in good form when asked if he ever tried his hand at tennis when he was younger.
"I don’t think my hand-eye coordination is made for tennis,” Nsemba laughed. “But I’m pretty sure my mum likes tennis, my dad was into volleyball, so my family is a sporting family, but tennis would not be for me, I’ll stick to watching it!”
Wigan head across the borough to Leigh on Friday night, which will wrap up the Warriors’ six-match away block of fixtures, and they will be hoping to make it two wins in a row following their last-gasp 26-20 win over Castleford Tigers last time out.
"It was obviously a very difficult game,” Nsemba reflected on the win over Castleford. “Not all wins are pretty, as we all know in sports, but we got the job done, we got the two points we needed, but big ups to Castleford, they’re a competitive side to play.
"This Friday we’ve got Leigh, and it’s always a tough place to go to, hostile. Leigh is very close to Wigan, so it’s a rivalry we’re willing to take on. They beat us 1-0 at the start of the season, and it’s not happened in a very long time, so we’re looking for a bit of revenge.”