Tom Holland may be able to do backflips and upside-down makeout scenes as Spider-Man, but no matter how hard he tried, the British actor couldn’t land the coveted role of ‘ball boy’ at Wimbledon.

Holland, who grew up in Kingston, just a short drive from the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, where the tournament takes place, tried out for the opportunity every year through his school. But he was never good enough at catching—or standing still—to make the cut.

Tom Holland plays tennis with cardmembers during London Chase Sapphire Reserve Trip, designed by Chase Travel.

Photo: Erik Melvin

“I was very sad about that,” he told a small crowd at the Chase Travel Court Club last weekend, where cardholders had the opportunity to meet Holland before attending the tournament. Still, he has fond memories of queuing up to watch the games. And besides: “Because I’m an actor, I’m an attention seeker,” he said. “So I would have been trying to make it all about me.”

He certainly turned heads in a pink shirt at Center Court on Tuesday. But instead of Zendaya, his now-fiancée, who was the unofficial face of tennis last year after her Challengers performance, he brought his brother as his date. Of course, Holland was at the tournament to watch stars like Carlos Alcaraz compete for the trophy—and, apparently, ask them out for a round of golf—but he was also there to promote his non-alcoholic beer brand, Bero.

“It’s no secret that I really struggled with alcohol and had an issue,” Holland said. In 2022, he got sober, but he couldn’t find a non-alcoholic alternative to beer that “scratched the itch.” So, he partnered with Bero that same year and worked closely with the company to create flavors that he’d not only enjoy at the pub, but also while watching sports like tennis.