The Duchess of Cambridge attended the Wimbledon Women's Singles Final in her role as patron today.
It promises to be an exciting weekend of tennis for the Duchess who made her second appearance at the tournament today to see Ons Jabeur and Elena Rybakina compete for the coveted title. Kate's Wimbledon 2022 appearances will conclude tomorrow when she, joined by William, watches Novak Djokovic and Nick Kyrgios battle for the men's singles title.
This year, the Wimbledon Foundation invited residents in the local community of Merton and Wandsworth to nominate an inspiring young person to perform the coin toss at the singles finals.
Meet Gabia, who went above and beyond for family and neighbours during the pandemic.
This year, we invited residents in our local community of Merton and Wandsworth to nominate an inspiring young person to perform the coin toss at the Singles Finals 🌟
— Wimbledon Foundation (@WimbledonFdn) July 9, 2022
Introducing Gabia.#Wimbledon I #100moments pic.twitter.com/046v8h4INt
The Duchess was delighted to meet Gabia and commend her for her inspiring efforts.
Wimbledon said: "Gabia was nominated by Jigsaw4u, a local children’s charity which supports children and young people through trauma, loss and bereavement. Gabia was chosen for overcoming difficult personal circumstances and in recognition of the way in which she selflessly cared for her family and neighbours during the pandemic."
Gabia performed the coin toss with a bespoke platinum coin created by the World Platinum Investment Council.
They were created to mark Her Majesty the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee and the Centre Court Centenary. You'll notice the famous quote by the Queen: "My whole life dedicated to your service."
Kate chats with Chairman of the All England Club Ian Hewitt and Martina Hingis.
Former professional player Conchita Martinez shakes hands with the Duchess.
Ons and Elena arrive on Centre Court.
Ons Jabeur and Elena Rybakina arrive on Centre Court for the biggest match of their lives...
— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) July 9, 2022
The Ladies' Singles final awaits.#Wimbledon | #CentreCourt100 pic.twitter.com/D4qdxjMl3m
More from Sports Illustrated:
'For the first time since 1962, two women making their first appearance in a Grand Slam final will meet, a result of another draw not held to form.
No. 3 Ons Jabeur and No. 17 Elena Rybakina have summoned their best tennis and bring rich and compelling backstories into Saturday’s women’s singles final. They present a contrast of styles we like to see in athletes on their biggest stage.
These players are not no-names on the tour. And for as much grief the women’s game sometimes gets for this parity, especially pitted against the steady excellence of the Big Three, it’s easy to see this matchup as a virtue.'
It was an incredibly special moment for Tunisian played Ons Jabeur when she made the final on Thursday.
The Guardian reported:
'In the six years since Jabeur broke into the world’s Top 100 in 2016, the Tunisian star’s ascent has seen a flurry of firsts. In October last year she became the first Arab player – man or woman – in the world’s Top 10. This year she won the Madrid Open, becoming the first Arab or north African woman to win a WTA 1000 event.
On Saturday, the new world No 2 faces Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan in the match of a lifetime, as she plays for her first Wimbledon title.
Against a backdrop of looming economic collapse in Tunisia, a country bitterly divided over its future political direction, Jabeur’s success has galvanised a nation with limited historical interest in tennis.
Amid the harsh political reality the country faces, the tennis star, christened the “Minister of Happiness” by the press, has been more than needed.'
Elena Rybakina stormed through her semi-final with former champion Simona Halep in straight sets.
More from Sky Sports:
'The Russian-born Kazakh's relentless display of powerful hitting proved too much for 2019 winner Halep as a 6-3 6-3 victory booked a Saturday showdown with third seed Ons Jabeur.
"Simona is a great champion but I was really focused today and really happy with my performance," the 23-year-old said.
"I was nervous, of course, but the matches I had before on Court One helped. It was my first time on Centre Court but the atmosphere I had before helped me a lot.'
Ready for action.
Let's take a peek into the royal box.
I loved Wimbledon's caption for this meeting: 'When a King Meets a Dame."
Maverick himself, Tom Cruise, has become a huge fan of the tournament. The Duke and Duchess attended the premiere of Top Gun: Maverick following a private screening in spring. The film has stunned box office analysts soaring past $1 billion.
A rising star and fantastic British actress -- Jodie Comer.
Tennis royalty Martina Navratilova.
There were exciting scenes as Jabeur took the first set.
There were great shots.
And unexpected moments.
It wasn't long before Rybakina came fighting back to dominate the remainder of the match.
Rybakina took the title in the three-set match.
Then it was time for trophy presentations.
Another view.
A huge congratulations from Kate.
Rybakina was praised by pundits for her incredibly relaxed reaction to going a set down, and seemed to be taking it all in her stride. I imagine the enormity of the moment was quite a shock. It was so well deserved.
More from Wimbledon:
'In the year of Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee, at the place where The Queen was patron for 64 years, the initials ‘ER’ turned out to be a useful pointer to the winner of the Venus Rosewater Dish.Elena Rybakina commenced her Wimbledon campaign largely unnoticed in the potential line of succession for the ladies’ title, yet her march to the 2022 crown is complete.The No.17 seed saw off Ons Jabeur, the acclaimed pretender to the throne, to become the lowest-ranked winner here since Venus Williams in 2005 and, at 23, the youngest since Petra Kvitova 11 years ago.'
It's a historic year with the centenary of Centre Court.
The first player since Amelie Mauresmo in 2006 to come from a set down to win the Ladies' Singles Championship, Elena was incredibly humble in victory: "I was super nervous before the match," she revealed, telling Jabeur: “You are an inspiration not only for the young juniors but everyone. I ran so much in this match that I don’t need to do fitness any more."
A beautiful day for a brilliant match.
— The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (@KensingtonRoyal) July 9, 2022
Congratulations to both players but also to all the unsung heroes that make this tournament what it is. @Wimbledon you make us proud each and every year! pic.twitter.com/2LOmS0DRYt
Kate repeated the Roksanda dress we first saw in Jamaica during the Caribbean tour.
The canary yellow piece with statement bow is bespoke version of Roksanda's Brigitte style.
We saw Kate in a gorgeous sunhat today. I can't recall seeing Kate wear a similar style before, but it's the perfect accessory for Wimbledon.
Another look at the hat.
And Kiki McDonough Eden Drops.
I'll see you tomorrow for another day of exciting tennis!
Atta girl. Strategically excellent choice of colour. Are the Duchess’ accessories blue by any chance?
ReplyDeleteI always thought this was a beautiful dress except for that bow.
ReplyDeleteYES!!
ReplyDeleteOMG
ReplyDeleteTHE HAT!!
She really can wear anything, can’t she?
Stunning as always.
ReplyDeleteI love this dress on Kate and the hat looks great too. Someone predicted this dress on the previous article. Love it when predictions come true.
ReplyDeleteI like it!
ReplyDeleteIs anyone else having problems see all of the pictures?
ReplyDeleteI loved this dress on the tour and I love it again! Gorgeous color and fit. Her hair looked great back in a ponytail and it looks lovely down today. The hat is perfect. Today Kate looks mature (meant as a compliment) , elegant, and beautiful. Two excellent women played today :) thanks Charlotte! Sue
ReplyDeleteWow! Gorgeous! I love this dress on the Duchess. Spectacular color on her! ♥️
ReplyDelete-FloridaGirl
Well done Kate! I predicted you'd were this dress. I love it! It's not just the lines but the fabric that make this dress so stunning on Kate (and the bow works for me). Now I did not predict that Elena Rybakina would win and neither did IBM Watson :-) Most certainly Ons Jabeur gave it her all. Two first timers in the finals - the future for tennis is bright. And honestly, I hope Serena comes back and plays again in the US Open. That match with Tan was - I believe - the longest women's match. Even some of the men's matches didn't last 3+ hours.
ReplyDeleteKate is just really in her element here. The way she presented the trophies, taking time to say thank you to staff, etc. I was surprised to see her stay for the men's doubles championship. That's when she put the hat on (the royal box was in shade during the women's match). I love it!
Glad to see the Kiki earrings as well - not sure why she doesn't wear them more often. She's had them since 2016? Granted she has a lot of earrings. Surprised she didn't bring a purse. Looking forward to seeing her with Will tomorrow - I'm going to guess it'll be something new, McQueen?
Great comment Elle a day a great prediction! The dress is very stunning and Kate looks smashing. Thanks for clarifying when she put the hat on, another good look. You are right a bright future for tennis. Can't wait for tomorrow!
DeleteThe pictures with the hat are so absolutely aesthetic and breathtaking.
ReplyDeleteAlso, it’s so lovely to see every year how happy everybody is to see Kate and how people cheer for her when she’s announced.
+1Anon! Well said.
DeleteYes, I thought the same about the hat, outstanding.
DeleteOur family are tennis players! Love Wimbeldon. Catherine looks fantastic. Great dress for the day. Glad she was able to stay for the doubles. She was really in her element all day, meeting people, clearly enjoying the matches, thrilled to see Martina Hingis. She looked great. Ali
ReplyDeleteIt's always a pleasure to see the prominent attendees at Wimbledon. I love seeing Dame Maggie Smith greeting Billie Jean King. (I love King's eyeglasses almost as much. Very chic.)
ReplyDeleteI liked this yellow dress on the Duchess the first time I saw it, enjoying both its dramatic design and its cheery shade, despite the fact that canary yellow on me is always a disaster. A tall woman in that shade does risk calling Big Bird to mind, but somehow, the Duchess carries it off. The look is perhaps a touch dressy for tennis-watching in ordinary circumstances, even in the royal box, but since the Duchess had an official role, it was quite suitable.
I did think that guests were advised to avoid bright and potentially distracting colors. The Duchess looks very conspicuous in that brilliant yellow as she's watching the action.
I've not much to add except to say that the hat -- well, the hat is to die for. Truly splendid. I've been told by a (soi-disant) hat expert and connoisseur that when it comes to sun protection, only about half of women can carry off a picture hat like that, while the other half look best in a classic Panama style. She may be right, though I own both and love wearing both. However, I definitely think the Duchess is the picture-hat type. These photos certainly suggest that she is.
Again, though, I thought that tournament attendees were advised to wear narrow-brimmed hats like Panamas. Princess Beatrice and her husband Edoardo were wearing such hats the other day. The idea is to avoid obstructing anyone's view.
I think Kate was gracious enough to wear her hat when there were fewer people around her. Also, you could see many different types of hats these days, including the official ones B&W were wearing.
DeleteNevertheless, the official request appears to be to wear narrow-brimmed hats, which is why the official hats have narrow brims. Given that the Duchess does have an official role, she should probably respect that request.
DeleteThere were several different hats allowed this year. The wide brimmed picture hat was floppy which didn't obstruct views, and it was not worn during the women's final. There are several photos of women wearing wider brimmed visors and hats, etc due to the heat. I do not believe Kate is a rule breaker and would have me sure it was appropriate. The narrow rimmed hats do not afford much protection from the sun and allowances were made this year.
DeleteI think it's a polite request from the Club's Board of Directors, not a "rule". No one is accusing the Duchess of being a "rule breaker," I assure you.
DeleteAbsolutely beautiful. The yellow really stands out, a beautiful dress and very good choice for today. I don't remember seeing these earrings before but I suppose she has so many from that designer. The hat was a nice touch. I would imagine very much needed at the moment with the warm weather. Looking forward to tomorrow. S. ☺
ReplyDeleteThe Duchess looks divine, the dress was a fabulous choice. The hat, wow!, she looks sensational.
ReplyDeleteI love this dress except for the bow. It has a lovely cut, color and flow. The hat is gorgeous
ReplyDeletethe duchess is like a ball of sunshine are we gonna see her men final singles'
ReplyDeleteI just wanted to share that I was lucky enough to be there at Wimbledon yesterday and we had wonderful seats to the left of the Royal Box, The Duchess of Cambridge lit up the whole of the Centre Court, my goodness she is even more beautiful and gracious in real life - a very special day.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comment! It always seems to me that people attending Wimbledon love to see her
DeleteI thought hats weren’t allowed at Wimbledon as to not obstruct others view of the game?
ReplyDeleteAs you have seen during these days, hats have been allowed due to the sun and temperatures, just as men were allowed to take off their ties and jackets at ascot last month.
DeleteI love the bright yellow and the hat is fantastic! Kate really was the perfect choice to take over this patronage. (Jax/Canada)
ReplyDeleteLoved the vibrance of this dress! The Duchess looks great in yellow. And she rocks that hat!
ReplyDeleteFabulous, the dress, the hat, the complete ensemble. Could not be more perfect. What a magnificent woman, and elegant duchess.
ReplyDeleteTedi
i really like that hat too bad it is out of stock. she looks nice in yellow
ReplyDelete