Kate was sympathetic when she spoke to Emma Raducanu about her wrist injury at Wimbledon and she also remembered her childhood days waiting in line for the championships.
The Princess of Wales told the 20-year-old British tennis star how she stood in line for Wimbledon tickets with her father and sister Pippa Middleton as a little girl.
She said they would wait at ‘the crack of dawn’ and how much it meant to her to get ground passes and be part of the queue atmosphere, after Raducanu herself surprised fans who lined up with fellow fans yesterday. British tennis player Jack Draper.
Kate said, “They would have loved to see you,” to which Raducanu replied, “Yeah, it was really nice.” Yesterday we were there at 7.30 pm and it was packed.’
The British tennis hope, who was forced to miss Wimbledon due to a wrist injury, told the Princess of Wales she could return to training within a month. “I bet you’re itchy, especially with all this going on around you,” Kate told her.
The Princess of Wales told the 20-year-old British tennis star how as a little girl she waited in line for Wimbledon tickets with her father and sister, Pippa Middleton.
When Raducanu was asked if she could see many games, she said she wouldn’t see much of it because it was too fresh considering her injury.
Kate responded empathetically, “It’s a tough position to be in.”
While at Wimbledon, Kate also joined former tennis player Laura Robson to see a bit of the action ahead of the 1pm ceremony, sitting in the crowd to watch Katie play Daria Saville.
As the skies opened over SW19, Kate quickly took shelter under a Wimbledon umbrella before play was halted by the showers.
She later entered the Royal Box, where she watched her close friend Roger Federer be honored in a special ceremony held at the club.
Games started on most courses shortly after 11am at the All England Club, but the sails came out when the rain came down about an hour later.
Kate managed to get a little look at Katie, who won her first WTA title in Nottingham and reached the semifinals in Surbiton, before rain stopped play.
The break came at a good time for the Brit – who is trailing 6-5 in the first inning.
Kate Middleton, 41, didn’t let the rain in London dampen her mood as she arrived for her first visit to Wimbledon this year
Kate gave a nod to white tennis players today as she headed to Wimbledon to honor close friend Roger Federer in a special ceremony on Center Court
Kate also hailed some ball girls and boys who “put their skills into action,” as she said on Instagram
At 1pm, the Princess of Wales watched Roger Federer be joined on court by his wife Mirka and fans were treated to a special video montage of his best moments over the years.
The tennis player has become a friend of the Royals and the Middletons in recent years and even attended Kate’s sister Pippa’s wedding to James Matthews in 2017.
Kate, 41, was among those who applauded enthusiastically when Federer, 41, was honored for his great sporting achievements on Center Court following his retirement last year.
Meanwhile, his wife Mirka watched in the Royal Box, which included Prince Michael of Kent and his daughter Lady Gabriella and former Prime Minister David Cameron and his wife Samantha.
Afterwards, Kate sat next to Federer as they watched Brit Andy Murray beat Ryan Peniston.
Wimbledon saw the highest attendance on the first day of the tournament since 2015, organizers said.
Kate, 41, was among those who applauded enthusiastically as Federer (right), 41, was honored for his great sporting achievements on Center Court following his retirement last year.
According to the All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC), 42,815 people attended the championships on Monday, meaning there were over 6,000 more spectators than last year when 36,603 people came.
Michelle Dite, AELTC’s director of operations, told reporters that 11,500 people were allowed access to the grounds through the queue on Monday.
She added: “We had our highest turnout at the championships on day one since 2015 yesterday.”
On Tuesday morning, fans in line were optimistic about their chances of seeing the second day of the tournament after spectators were frustrated by the security check on Monday.
On the first day, some spectators who had attended Wimbledon in previous years said the queue was the ‘worst’ they had ever seen.
Organizers said extra checks – put in place due to protest concerns – were to blame for the slow queue.
Some tennis fans even got creative by lining up a bench.
The championships run until July 16.