Forte love! Italian tennis fan proposes to his girlfriend of 15 years on Centre Court at Wimbledon
- The couple live in London and are both big tennis and SW19 fans.
- Annalisa Leoni believed she would spend the afternoon on the hill
- Centre Court has received a number of different proposals over the years
Ahead of the Centre Court programme on Friday afternoon, the iconic Wimbledon court was the scene of a different kind of remembrance as a couple got engaged in the stands.
Gabriele Pamboni surprised his girlfriend of 15 years Annalisa Leoni when he got down on one knee at 11:30 a.m. on Friday morning in the empty venue, just days after the couple celebrated their anniversary.
Leoni from London was shocked when she accepted the offer, but she was surprised when her fiancé told her they would be spending the day at Henman Hill.
‘“We both love Wimbledon and we couldn’t have found a better place to celebrate,” Pamboni said. “A very special day for both of us.
“She had no idea about the proposal and thought we were going to watch the tennis from the Hill. It was amazing!”
Gabriele Pamboni proposed to his girlfriend Annalisa Leoni on Centre Court on Friday
Both Pamboni and Leoni are avid tennis fans, but Pamboni had fooled his current fiancée into thinking she was spending the day at Henman Hill
The London-based couple celebrated their 15th anniversary earlier this week, on Monday
Several proposals have been made at this historic location over the years, but none is as infamous as the one Steffi Graf made during her singles semi-final against Kimiko Date in 1996.
The lavishly decorated German was about to serve in her bid for her seventh Wimbledon title when someone from the crowd shouted: “Steffi, will you marry me?”
Graf accepted the offer in good humor and replied, “How much money do you have?”
Graf’s elegant response was met with laughter and cheers from the audience – and that year she won the title.