Verbeek arrives at his old tennis club on his bicycle. As a teenager he played for TC Kattenlaan for a few years. “I can still see him playing on court two,” said Sylvia Nefkens. She has been a member of the tennis club on the edge of the Vondelpark for many years and can still remember young Sem well.
On this afternoon, Verbeek will be presented with an award with which he will become one of the honorary members of the tennis club. “In a nice way, this makes me feel emotional,” are the proud words of the Wimbledon winner. “I’ll come back to my nest anyway.”
On London’s center court, Verbeek, together with the Czech Katerina Siniaková, defeated the duo Joe Salisbury (Eng) and Luisa Stefani (Bra). This makes him the first Dutchman in the mixed doubles tournament to win this prize.