Princess Kate has attended Wimbledon nearly every year since marrying Prince William in 2011
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NEED TO KNOW
- Retired British tennis player Andy Murray said Princess Kate’s presence at Wimbledon is key to the tournament’s identity
- Murray said that the Princess of Wales is patron of Wimbledon’s hosting club and that she plays the tennis and padel
- Kate presented the Wimbledon’s women’s championship trophy after attending the ladies’ singles final on July 11
Retired pro tennis player Andy Murray is reminding people why Kate Middleton is a central figure to Wimbledon.
The 39-year-old British star, who retired in August 2024, told Hello Magazine that he believes having the royals, like the Princess of Wales, 44, in the Wimbledon audience is a big part of the London-based tournament’s “identity.”
“I think it means a lot to the players and to tennis fans to see the royal family at Wimbledon,” the Olympic medalist said. “It’s part of the tradition of Wimbledon and the fans really like that, especially the overseas fans.”
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Murray also said that he believes that part of the reason why Kate is such a big fan of tennis is because she dabbles in the sport from time to time. She is also the patron of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, where Wimbledon is held.
“She is definitely a tennis fan and she plays a bit herself, I think. I think she also plays padel,” Murray told the outlet, referring to the racket sport that blends elements of tennis and squash.
He went on to say that one of his favorite memories with Princess Kate was when they watched British tennis player Katie Swan take on U.S. player Madison Keys earlier this month during the second round of Wimbledon.
“Yes, it was a fun afternoon … We watched the Katie Swan and Madison Keys match, so it was good to be watching a British player together,” he recalled to Hello Magazine.
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His interview comes the same day the Princess of Wales attended the ladies’ singles final at Wimbledon on Saturday, July 11.
She was spotted waving to fans as she made her way to her usual seat in the front row of the Royal Box, the exclusive 74-seat section of the stands at Centre Court, accompanied by her mother, Carole Middleton.
She wore a red, belted Roland Mouret dress while for the game and eventually headed down to the court to present the women’s championship trophy, the Venus Rosewater Dish, to 21-year-old Linda Noskova, who defeated her fellow Czech, Karolina Muchova, in three sets to win her first-ever Wimbledon title.
Princess Kate and Prince William have tennis courts at both Forest Lodge, their main base in Windsor, and Anmer Hall, their country home in Norfolk. The Princess of Wales is known to play the sport and has even bested her husband at the sport in the past, according to Australian tennis star Rod Laver.
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“I’d met William and Kate a few times, and in the Royal Box you get a chance to chat with them a little bit. They play tennis against each other. William told me he couldn’t beat her,” he told the Daily Mail in 2020.
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