Liverpool star Virgil van Dijk makes most of his time off as he enjoys himself at Wimbledon
- Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk enjoyed himself at Wimbledon on Thursday
- The centre-back made the most of his time off as he watched the action
- Simona Halep and Venus Williams made it through in the women’s semi-finals
While many Premier League players are back in training, Virgil van Dijk is still enjoying some time off.
The centre-back had an eventful conclusion to last season as he helped Liverpool to win the Champions League before featuring for Holland in the Nations League as they finished as runners-up behind Portugal.
Van Dijk, widely seen as one of the standout players in world football, attended Wimbledon for the first time, with the 28-year-old taking in the action as it unfolded on Centre Court.
Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk enjoyed himself as he attended Wimbledon for the first time
Van Dijk was at Centre Court as he took in the action at Wimbledon
The 28-year-old was given extra time off after featuring for Holland in the Nations League
Van Dijk watched on as Simona Halep beat Elina Svitolina 6-1, 6-3 to reach her first Wimbledon final.
Next up, Serena Williams took on Barbora Strycova in the other women’s semi-final, with the American winning 6-1, 6-2.
Van Dijk was asked in an interview with Wimbledon’s official Twitter account whether he’d calmed down following Liverpool’s success against Tottenham in the Champions League final.
He said: ‘It’s been a while, so I had a nice little break and I’m happy to be here.’
Asked about the games he was set to watch at Wimbledon, van Dijk said: I’ve seen some games on TV in the last couple of days and to be here now I think it’s something special, and I’m looking forward to the games today and it’s going to be a good day.’
Van Dijk watched on as Simona Halep secured a 6-1, 6-3 win against Elina Svitolina
Serena Williams defeated Barbora Strycova 6-1, 6-2 in the other women’s semi-final
The 28-year-old was glad to be able to attend a sporting event where he wasn’t under pressure.
He said: ‘It’s very good. Hopefully I can just enjoy the games, have a drink and just relax.’
Van Dijk was also asked about how tennis players have to cope on their own while footballers can call upon the support of their team-mates.
He said: ‘Sometimes I get some help from my team-mates, but they (tennis players) have to do in on their own. They’ve got a great trainer, probably, in the stands cheering them on but it’s all about them.’
Liverpool commence their pre-season fixtures on Thursday night as they take on Tranmere Rovers, with van Dijk expected to return to Melwood shortly.