The Princess of Wales made a highly anticipated appearance at Wimbledon today, attending the Women’s Singles final and presenting the trophy in what became a historic day for the sport.
The Royal, who is patron of the All England Lawn Tennis Club, watched on as Poland’s Iga Swiatek delivered an unbelievable 6-0, 6-0 victory over American opponent Amanda Anisimova — the most one-sided Wimbledon final since 1911.
The Princess was accompanied by All England Club chairwoman Debbie Jevans before the match, as she toured the grounds, stopping to greet fans and meet with various Wimbledon figures. She had interactions with honorary steward Bob Flint, representatives from the Work at Wimbledon programme, and young fans including eight-year-old Lydia Lowe and 12-year-old Sophie Kneen – both were chosen to perform coin toss duties in their respective finals. The Princess also met Wang Ziying, who had just claimed the women’s wheelchair singles title.
Catherine had a warm exchange with Lydia, who overcame a brain injury. When the Princess asked if she had any advice for the day, Lydia replied: ‘Don’t be nervous.’
In 2024, Catherine presented the men’s trophy at the Wimbledon final to Carlos Alcaraz, and her return this year was met with another standing ovation from the 15,000-strong Centre Court crowd. Smiling and waving with both hands, Catherine soaked in the cheers before settling in for the match.
The final itself proved historic. Swiatek, 24, dominated the match, winning in just 57 minutes, achieving what is known as a ‘double bagel’ scoreline – a rare 6-0, 6-0 result. Such a victory has not been seen in a Grand Slam final since Steffi Graf’s 1988 French Open win.
Runner up 23-year-old Anisimova wiped away tears during her on-court interview, thanking her mother who had flown in from the US that morning: ‘Thank you for being here and breaking the superstition of not flying in – it isn’t why I lost,’ she joked in reference to a myth about Wimbledon losses, before vowing to return stronger. ‘I know I didn’t have enough today but I will keep putting in the work and I hope to be back here one day.’
Anisimova, competing in her first Grand Slam final, was visibly emotional after the match. As she left the court in tears, the crowd stood to applaud her resilience and achievement. The Princess of Wales comforted the player, placing a reassuring hand on Anisimova’s arm, and offering kind words before presenting her with the runner-up trophy.
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
‘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.’
Iga Swiatek, meanwhile, became the first Polish woman ever to win Wimbledon. Overwhelmed by the moment, the 24-year-old champion thanked the Princess of Wales warmly and reflected on her journey: ‘I didn’t even dream. I never expected this one.’
Swiatek humorously noted the quirky details of the match: ‘I’ll always remember the sound of champagne bottles popping during serves – it’ll keep me awake at night!’
The Princess’ attendance comes as she continues to slowly return to royal duties following after entering remission from cancer last September. She is expected to attend the Men’s finals tomorrow.
