The Princess of Wales had kind words for American tennis player Amanda Anisimova after she lost to Iga Świątek in the 2025 Wimbledon ladies' singles final. Following the match on Saturday, Her Royal Highness presented the runner up with her trophy and told Amanda to keep her head high.
During a post-match press conference, the 23 year old was asked if Catherine provided any comfort or encouragement for the future, to which Amanda replied: “Yeah, for sure. I mean, it was such an honor to meet her. And yeah, I wasn’t sure if she was gonna come out today. If she was gonna be there, so it was just really nice to see her."
"She definitely had a few things to say that were making me emotional again. But yeah, she was really kind and she told me to keep my head high and don’t really want to reveal everything she said to me, but I also spoke to her again after the match because I passed by her and yeah she had all the best to say to me. So it was, I guess, it was a positive of today and I can try and focus on that and not the match," Amanda continued.
While the Princess of Wales missed the ladies' singles final last year, the royal, who was undergoing chemotherapy treatment at the time, attended the 2024 gentlemen's singles final with her daughter Princess Charlotte and sister Pippa Middleton, marking her second official public appearance of that year.
Saturday's match between Iga and Amanda was Catherine's first appearance at the 2025 tournament.The Princess was back at Wimbledon on Sunday, this time joined by Prince William, Prince George and Princess Charlotte, for the gentlemen’s singles final between Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner.
Catherine has been patron of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club since 2016, but was a Wimbledon fan long before that. In the 2017 BBC documentary Sue Barker: Our Wimbledon, she shared, “I have watched Wimbledon, that was very much part of my growing up. It's such a quintessential part of the English summer, and I think it really inspires youngsters, myself, it inspired me, when I was younger to get involved in the game. It hasn't changed either, I think that's what's so wonderful.”
The Princess also said that "being able to go into Wimbledon and be part of what is so amazing there, the atmosphere, is incredible, whether you're sitting on Henman Hill or are fortunate enough to be in one of the Center Courts," adding, "Every time Wimbledon is on I am thinking, 'Yes, I could do the same' and get out the racket. Sadly, never the same results."