Princess of Wales to attend Wimbledon women's singles final
Kensington Palace said Kate would attend the match between Amanda Anisimova and Iga Swiatek on Saturday.
Kate, who is patron of the All England Lawn Tennis Club, will present the trophy on Centre Court to the winner of the final on day 13 of the championships.
She will be accompanied on court by All England Club chairwoman Deborah Jevans, All England Club chief executive Sally Bolton and LTA president Sandi Procter.
Last year the princess presented the Wimbledon men's final trophy to Carlos Alcaraz, in her second public engagement since she announced her cancer 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.
Olympic champion Sir Mo Farah, former footballer Ian Wright and Welsh singer Katherine Jenkins were among the notable names to attend a hot day at Wimbledon on Saturday.
Temperatures are forecast to peak at around 30C and fall 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.
Met Office meteorologist Greg Dewhurst said: 'There will be blue skies at Wimbledon throughout the day so it will feel hot, with very high UV levels and a light wind.
'There might be a little bit more cloud around tomorrow, making it a degree lower.'
The men's singles semi-final on Friday between Carlos Alcaraz and Taylor Fritz was stopped twice in less than five minutes because of crowd emergencies, amid temperatures of 32C on Centre Court.
Three fans also needed attention on Centre Court on Thursday in similarly hot conditions.
The men's singles final on Sunday, with highs of 29C predicted, is unlikely to break the record of the warmest closing day on record of 34.1C recorded on July 3 1976.
The extreme heat during the 1976 tournament prompted organisers to allow umpires to remove their jackets.
Wimbledon has said the heat rule will apply for all singles events for players, which allows for a 10-minute break when the wet bulb globe temperature (WBGT) is at or above 30.1C.
The rule will apply after the second set for all best-of-three-set matches, and after the third for all best-of-five-set matches.
Players may leave the court during the break, but they may not receive coaching or medical treatment.
Sophie Kneen, 12, will perform the coin toss at the women's singles final on Centre Court, representing the AFC Wimbledon Foundation.
Sophie, who is part of the foundation's women and girls inclusion project, told the PA news agency: 'I'm really excited, it's always been a dream of mine to go out on Centre Court.'
Asked about the foundation, Sophie said: 'I've been playing football with them and at the development centre for a couple of years now and it's really helped my confidence.'
Kate Wells, women and girls' officer at AFC Wimbledon Foundation, said: 'Sophie is such a great, positive energy to have at our sessions, she's really respectful to her coaches and to her peers, and because of that we felt she really deserved to take part in the coin toss ceremony this year.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
33 minutes ago
Amanda Anisimova reflects on 'surreal' Wimbledon finish, momentum headed into favorite major US Open
Amanda Anisimova had the best Grand Slam finish of her career at The Wimbledon Championships, and though she fell short to Iga Świątek in the final, the American tennis star is taking away some unmatched memories and lessons for her next major of the season. Amanda Anisimova opens up on Wimbledon finish, champagne interruptions "It was such a remarkable experience for me, and making it to the first Grand Slam final and it being at Wimbledon was a surreal feeling," the 23-year-old said in a new interview with "Good Morning America." "Even though it didn't go the way I would have wanted it to go, my opponent obviously was was playing some great tennis, and I've had to compete against so many incredible athletes throughout the entire fortnight," she continued. Despite her runner-up finish, Anisimova has since jumped up the WTA rankings, breaking into the top 10 for the first time at No. 7. "It feels so surreal to be ranked [No.] 7 right now -- it's my career high and what a quick turnaround for me," she told "GMA." Anisimova added that there were larger takeaways, like having her family present and "getting to experience that moment with me," which she called "incredibly special." "Getting to meet Kate Middleton after the final at the ceremony, there were so many special moments and so many other things that I can take away apart from the performance in itself," she added. The New Jersey native took a hiatus from the professional circuit in May 2023 until January 2024 to focus on her mental health and said that "it's been quite the journey coming back." "The most important thing for me since coming back has honestly been doing everything on my own terms and just enjoying the moment," she said. "And that's what I told myself coming out into Wimbledon. I was just incredibly excited to just be playing in the main draw, because I didn't make it last year." Anisimova made history as the youngest American woman singles player to advance to the Wimbledon finals -- after defeating world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka -- since Serena Williams. "Getting to play on on Centre Court and winning against the most incredible athlete in tennis right now was super special to me and just an exhilarating feeling," she said. "It'll last me a lifetime of memories for sure." The iconic All England Lawn Tennis venue brought with it some very posh quirks, including champagne bottles popping mid-match that prompted officials to silence spectators. "That was like the 15th time, so I think that my reaction was valid -- it was just a reminder of where I was," Anisimova recalled. "It felt very English -- but it was a funny experience for sure. And then after the match, I was able to laugh about it afterwards, of course." Amanda Anisimova has high hopes to 'go far' at US Open With the final major of the season just over a month out, Anisimova said she's excited to return to Queens and get on the courts at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. "The U.S. Open is my favorite tournament by far. It's always super exciting to be playing there, and I'm sure I'll have the whole home crowd cheering for me over there," she said. "Again, all of my family is going to come and support me -- I am sure it's going to be a great tournament. And hopefully I can go far again." Sabalenka is the current defending women's singles U.S. Open champion.
Associated Press
35 minutes ago
- Associated Press
Golf in a hangar? DeChambeau's woes at the British Open get 'The Scientist' thinking
PORTRUSH, Northern Ireland (AP) — As a popular YouTuber and golfing enigma, Bryson DeChambeau is known for coming up with some wacky, radical ideas. 'The Scientist' might have another one in the pipeline. 'This is going to be wild,' DeChambeau proffered at the British Open on Tuesday, 'but imagine a scenario where you've got a 400-yard tent, and you can just hit any type of shot with any wind with all the fans. 'That's what I imagine, like in a hangar or something like that. A big stadium. That would be cool to test.' Don't put it past DeChambeau to go through with it. After all, he's open to anything if it means improving his patchy record at golf's oldest major championship. The 31-year-old American has played seven times at the Open Championship, where handling the fickle weather can be the key to success. He missed the cut on three occasions and only finished inside the top 30 once. It's a record that frustrates one of the sport's deeper thinkers. He remembers playing well at the Walker Cup at Royal Lytham St. Anne's — one of the courses on the British Open rotation — back in 2015, and was quick to point out he coped fine in windy conditions in LIV Golf events in Miami and Valderrama this year. Place him in the British Open, though, and he can get blown away — like last year at Royal Troon, when he shot 76-75 to miss the cut and said afterward: 'I can do it when it's warm and not windy.' 'The times I've been over here, for some reason, my golf swing hasn't been where it needs to be,' DeChambeau said Tuesday. 'Right now it feels as good as it's ever been. Hitting it far, hitting it straight as I can, and learning how to putt better on these greens in windy conditions and rain and all that. 'It's just figuring it out. It's just going to take time and something that I never really experienced growing up in California.' Lifting the claret jug — as unlikely as it would be, given his Open woes — would deliver the two-time U.S. Open champion a third major title and no doubt boost the already-swelling audience on his YouTube channel that has risen to more than 2 million subscribers. His popularity is clear over in Northern Ireland, too. Late Monday, dozens of people — mostly kids — were seen waiting outside Portrush to get a photo with, or the autograph of, DeChambeau. He obliged, happily. DeChambeau is using YouTube to have some fun and to show the world a different side to him. He even suggested it's just as important as the results he gets. 'I'm not going to be here forever,' he said. 'What footprint do I want to leave? I think it humbles me and almost makes me more passionate about what I'm doing off the professional golf course. 'Am I going to get frustrated playing bad golf?' he posed. 'Yeah. Am I going to want to still sign autographs? Yeah, because I care about the game.' That's not to say he doesn't still have a burning desire to win at Portrush this week — and secure a result that will impress Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley in the process, ahead of the match against Europe in September. 'I feel pressure every week to play good for not only Keegan, but myself, and the people that I love online and everybody that's watching me,' DeChambeau said. 'I'll walk through the fire,' he added, 'rather than run away from it.' ___ AP golf:
New York Times
an hour ago
- New York Times
Jordan Nobbs, record WSL appearance-holder, completes Newcastle transfer
WSL 2 side Newcastle United have completed the signing of Jordan Nobbs, the record appearance-holder in the Women's Super League (WSL). The midfielder spent 15 seasons in the top level of English women's football, making 208 WSL appearances across spells at Arsenal and Aston Villa. Upon completing her move to Newcastle, Nobbs said: 'I think they are a very ambitious club and, speaking to everyone, the goal is to get promoted and push women's football in the north east. I want to be part of that. 'I've always had a winning mentality, and it's the same mentality here, every game is like a cup final. I want to be part of a successful club that push to the next level.' Nobbs joined Villa in January 2023 after 13 years with Arsenal, where she won 12 trophies including three WSL titles and four FA Cups. The 32-year-old has played 71 times for England, with her most recent call-up in 2023. In 2024-25, Newcastle finished fifth in WSL 2 following their promotion from the third tier. ()
