The Princess of Wales consoled Wimbledon runner-up Amanda Anisimova and urged her to keep her “head high” after she suffered one of the heaviest Wimbledon defeats in 114 years.
The American tennis player said she was left feeling emotional after Kate reassured her after she was beaten 6-0 6-0 by Polish player Iga Swiatek.
No woman had won Wimbledon with a double bagel - the name given to a victory without dropping a game - since 1911.
Just days earlier, Anisimova had beaten World Number One Aryna Sabalenka to secure a surprise place in the final but was ultimately outplayed by Swiatek, who only needed 57 minutes to secure her first Wimbledon title.
Centre Court rises to give a warm welcome to our Patron HRH The Princess of Wales 💜💚#Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/BG3Ar7XMWv
— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) July 12, 2025
Kate, who is patron of the All England Lawn Tennis Club, was seen beaming as she received a standing ovation after arriving in a star-studded Royal Box on Centre Court on Saturday.
It was the first time Kate had visited Wimbledon during this year’s championships.
Following the match, the princess – wearing a white belted jacket and pleated skirt – then appeared on court herself to present Swiatek with the Venus Rosewater Dish, which is the ladies' singles trophy.
Kate then consoled Anisimova as the American collected her runner-up prize, after acknowledging she had "ran out of gas" in the final.
Speaking after the match, Anisimova described how it had been an honour to meet Kate.
She said: “I wasn’t sure if she was going to come out today, if she was going to be there, so it’s just really nice to see her.
“She definitely had a few things to say that were making me emotional again. She was really kind and she told me to keep my head high.”
Anisimova added: “I guess it was a positive of today, and I can try and focus on that and not the match.”
Swiatek said receiving the trophy from Kate was "surreal", adding that the princess told her "some nice stuff about the performance" on Centre Court.
Speaking after the match, the Wimbledon champion added: "Since I was a kid, I'm a big fan of the royal family, so it was amazing and I really appreciated that.
"And I'm really grateful that it was her royal highness giving the trophy."
The princess also spoke to ball boys and girls as she came onto court for the presentation.
Ahead of the final, the princess also met eight-year-old Lydia Lowe, who performed the coin toss at the women’s wheelchair final.
After shaking her hand, the princess asked the eight-year-old whether she was “nervous” about the coin toss, adding: “Have you got any advice for me? Because I’ve got to go out.”
Lydia, who suffered a brain injury in January 2024, leaving her visually impaired and having to relearn to walk, talk and eat, replied: “Don’t be nervous. Take deep breaths.”
Kate told Lydia that she was a “pro” and asked her “what does it mean to you to come and do this?”, with the eight-year-old replying: “It means loads to me.”
The princess added that she wanted to say “well done” and celebrate Lydia’s “bravery”.
Lydia performed the coin toss while representing the Dan Maskell Tennis Trust, a charity supporting people with disabilities who play tennis by providing them with specialist equipment and grants.
Kate also met Sophie Kneen, 12, who was selected to perform the coin toss at the women’s singles final, representing the AFC Wimbledon Foundation.
Accompanied by All England Club chairwoman Deborah Jevans, Kate also congratulated women’s wheelchair singles champion Wang Ziying and asked her about the final and spoke about the heat.
Kate, who donned a bow-shaped brooch in the Wimbledon colours of purple and green, also spoke with Bob Flint, an honorary steward at the championships, who first worked at the grand slam in 1980.
The princess thanked the 75-year-old for his service and told him: “Well done for all the years of commitment and dedication.”
Kate is a regular at Wimbledon and often takes her children along, but was forced to step back slightly from her presenting duties in 2024 following her cancer diagnosis.
The princess did not present the ladies' trophy last year but did hand the Wimbledon men’s final trophy to Carlos Alcaraz. It was only her second public engagement since she announced her diagnosis.
The Princess of Wales’s parents, Carole and Michael Middleton, were seen in the Royal Box on Monday, with the Duchess of Edinburgh and the Duchess of Gloucester also in attendance.
The Queen told tennis star Novak Djokovic that she was keeping her “fingers crossed” as she visited Wimbledon on Wednesday.
The Princess Royal’s son Peter Phillips attended the championships on Wednesday, with Hugh Grant and former prime minister Sir John Major also in the Royal Box.
Four-time Olympic champion Sir Mo Farah, England and Arsenal legend Ian Wright and Welsh singer Katherine Jenkins were among the notable names to attend a hot day at Wimbledon on Saturday.
Temperatures fell short of a record for a women’s singles final day, with 31.2C having been recorded on the day of the 1976 final between Chris Evert and Evonne Goolagong Cawley.
It comes after several semi-final matches had to be stopped in the week as temperatures sweltered on Centre Court.
At one stage during the men’s singles semi-final on Friday between Carlos Alcaraz and Taylor Fritz play was stopped twice in less than five minutes because of crowd emergencies, amid 32C heat.
Three fans also needed attention on Centre Court on Thursday in similarly hot conditions.
