Tennis legend Andy Murray is sharing why he believes it’s important for Princess Kate Middleton to continue to appear at the iconic Wimbledon tournament amid her cancer remission and continued healing.
“I think it means a lot to the players and to tennis fans to see the royal family at Wimbledon,” Murray, 39, told Hello Magazine in an interview published on Saturday, July 11. “It’s part of the tradition of Wimbledon and the fan really like that, especially the overseas fans.”
He continued, “She is definitely a tennis fans and she plays a bit herself, I think. I think she also plays padel.” (Padel, for the uninitiated, is a racket sport that blends aspects of both tennis and squash.)
The Princess of Wales, 44, attended Saturday’s women’s singles final match between Karolina Muchova and Linda Nosková. (Nosková defeated Muchova 6-2, 5-7, 6-3 in the final match, marking the 21-year-old Czech player’s first career Grand Slam title and making her the youngest Wimbledon champion in five years. Per tradition, Middleton presented Nosková with the coveted Venus Rosewater Dish.)
Kate Middleton Set to Attend Wimbledon Men’s Final Amid Cancer Treatment
Middleton — the patron of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, where Wimbledon is held — donned a chic red peplum dress for the occasion. She completed her ensemble with a pair of diamond drop earrings and, for glam, wore her hair in a half-up, half-down ‘do.
The royal had previous attended an earlier Wimbledon match on July 2 alongside Murray, who opened up about the experience in the same Saturday interview.
“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.
The Princess of Wales’ Wimbledon appearances come in the wake of a candid update on her ongoing healing journey following her 2024 cancer diagnosis.
Kate Middleton Shares Message to Andy Murray After Last Wimbledon Match
“Every year, hundreds of thousands of people in this country hear the words no one wants to hear. What follows is a path that tests every part of who we are: physically, emotionally, psychologically and spiritually,” she wrote via Instagram on June 28. “The challenges ripple outwards, touching families, friendships, work and the quiet moments we spend alone with our thoughts.”
Kate continued at the time, “Cancer doesn’t just affect the body. It changes how you think and feel and profoundly affects every aspect of life. I know this personally, and that the journey through and beyond treatment requires more than medicine alone.”
The royal went on to share that decided to take on the grueling National Three Peaks Challenge to “raise awareness for the deeper impact of serious illness and the importance of holistic healthcare.”
“Every individual is different, and ensuring there is a whole person approach to care enables those living through cancer to manage the deeply personal challenge of diagnosis,” the princess noted late last month. “Holistic therapies complement clinical pathways and support patients’ ability to maintain their wellbeing, resilience and quality of life during an exceptionally difficult time. We have an opportunity to reshape what the future of holistic cancer care looks like, enabling more people, nationwide, to access the kind of personalized support that can help make a meaningful difference during and after medical treatment.”
