The Princess of Wales, Kate Middleton, made a rare public appearance at Wimbledon Sunday, marking only her second outing since announcing her cancer diagnosis. She was there to witness the thrilling men's final where Carlos Alcaraz emerged victorious over Novak Djokovic.
Accompanying the princess were her daughter, Princess Charlotte, and sister, Pippa Matthews, both regular attendees at SW19. Pippa joined her sister and niece in the Royal Box, looking on as Kate presented the trophy to Alcaraz after his triumphant match.
Post-match celebrations saw Alcaraz mingling with members of the All England Club, including a chance to chat with Kate. During their conversation, Kate introduced him to Charlotte and even asked about his favorite football player, ahead of Spain's Euros final victory against England.
READ MORE: Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's secret nicknames that only a handful of people know
READ MORE: Kate Middleton's 'unnecessary' two moves show she needed 'self-reassurance' at Wimbledon
However, an awkward moment ensued when Pippa attempted to engage Alcaraz in conversation, but he seemed to inadvertently overlook her. This occurred as Kate was wrapping up her chat with the two-time Wimbledon champion, advising him to savor his win.
Pippa, standing slightly behind her sister and niece, gestured forward to congratulate him, with Kate also trying to direct his attention towards her sister.
However, at the same time, someone in the crowd catches Alcaraz's eye and he unintentionally snubs them. After a brief awkward moment, the two women start clapping as he strides off towards the locker room with his trophy.
This happened after Kate and Charlotte received a warm welcome from the crowd as they settled into their front-row seats in the Royal box at Centre Court. Hollywood stars Tom Cruise, Benedict Cumberbatch, and Julia Roberts were among the other celebrities gracing the Royal box for Sunday's final.
During a pre-match meet-and-greet with the players, Kate revealed that Charlotte, dressed in a cute navy polka dot dress, had been "practising yesterday" and praised tennis as being "really great for the youngsters". She shared that she and Charlotte had been "filling in the leaderboard during Wimbledon." She added: "As a family, we play a lot."
When Shuker suggested she try wheelchair tennis, Kate responded: "I've tried wheelchair rugby before, but not tennis. You'll have to hold me to that."
Shuker, Britain's top-ranked female wheelchair tennis player, told PA news agency: "She was just saying how amazing it's been to watch and follow everyone's career. "
"Alfie Hewett won the men's wheelchair tennis earlier. I just asked if they were playing tennis themselves, which they had been, and then said: 'Have you tried wheelchair tennis?' And I got a little pinky promise from Princess Charlotte that she would try it, " Shuker added.
Most Popular
Comments / 0