Emma Shacklock
As well as being a huge tennis fan, the Princess of Wales is a skilled player herself – as we've seen on several occasions. She is also the current Patron of the All-England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club and traditionally presents the trophies to the Wimbledon winners and runner's up.
Nick Kyrgios, the Australian tennis star who took the sport by storm with his divisive comments and "bad boy" persona, was one such player. He received the runner's up trophy from Kate in 2022 and whilst many sportsmen would love to receive words of praise from the Princess, his response was reportedly rather blunt.
As per the Daily Mail Australia, Nick apparently revealed that, when the pair met on Wimbledon's Centre Court, the Princess told him "Great work, well played," which allegedly left him thinking, "What would you know?"
It might seem quite blunt, but we’re sure the Princess, as a keen tennis player herself, and someone who has been described by Prince William as highly competitive, would understand Nick’s frustrations.
"In that moment, after losing the tournament, Nick's disappointment is understandable," says woman&home's Royal Editor, Emma Shacklock. "As I understand it, the star didn't actually respond like this out loud, which is probably for the best.
"The Princess's encouragement was no doubt meant to lift his spirits and to express her genuine admiration for his performance. It might not have been the outcome he wanted, but Kate appreciated his skill all the same."
Kyrgios narrowly lost the title to Novak Djokovic and he ended up mentioning the Princess during his time acting as a commentator for the BBC TV coverage of Wimbledon 2024. She arrived in the Royal Box to watch the Men's Singles Final alongside her sister Pippa and daughter Princess Charlotte.
While commentating, he supposedly said, "Maybe I’m a little bit too volatile, but look, I’ve got a lot of time on my hands at the moment so I’m happy to coach [the Princess of Wales]. It’ll be more fun being coached by me than it would by Federer!"
Nick’s comments perhaps allude to the fact that Roger Federer, the former World Number One tennis legend, has forged a friendship with the Princess and her family over the years.
In 2023, the pair faced off in a game of tennis to promote the upcoming tournament, and Federer even called Kate’s serve "amazing" as she scored a point against him.
Roger Federer also revealed in 2019 that he’d given Prince George, the eldest child of the Prince and Princess of Wales, tennis lessons. These reportedly took place at Carole and Michael Middleton’s Berkshire home.
He joined Kate in the Royal Box at Wimbledon in 2023 and received a standing ovation from the crowd.
The future Queen got one of her own last July as she took her seat in the Royal Box. The Princess’s appearance at the tournament was only her second public appearance after she made her cancer diagnosis public in early 2024.
