Tennis players send Princess Catherine well-wishes amid cancer battle

The Princess of Wales has cheered on and played with tennis's top stars in recent years
Karwai Tang/GettyImages
facebooktwitterreddit

Princess Catherine shocked the world by announcing that she is undergoing treatment for cancer. Though the Princess of Wales is a worldwide icon, tennis players have a more intimate relationship with her ever since she took over duties as patron of Wimbledon's All England Tennis Club in 2017.

She famously consoled an emotional Ons Jabeur after finishing as a Wimbledon finalist for two straight years. That's why it was not surprising that Jabeur was among the first from the tennis world to take to social media to send Princess Catherine well-wishes. Jabeur wrote: "Your Royal Highness, thinking of you and sendin you hugs of comfort. Wishing you a speedy recovery."

Boris Becker also wrote a note of support to the Princess. He said: "We wish the Princess of Wales a full and speedy recovery!"

Princess Catherine worked with Roger Federer at Wimbledon last summer

In addition to being a spectator and part of the awards ceremonies, Princess Catherine expanded her role at last summer's Wimbledon. She and Roger Federer did a behind-the-scenes video with the ball boys and girls. They learned how ball boys and girls are selected and trained. Princess Catherine also hit balls with Federer and asked him for tips on her serve which he told her "looked good."

During the COVID-19 pandemic that canceled Wimbledon in July 2020, Princess Catherine asked Andy Murray to join her on a video call with children from Bond Primary School in South London. During the call, the Princess of Wales was especially interested in how Murray handled life and training during the lockdown. She also asked Murray to give the kids tennis tips.

The Princess logged more court time by playing doubles with 2021 US Open Champion Emma Raducanu shortly after her career-changing win in September 2021. Raducanu described Princess Catherine's forehand as "incredible."

Read more on Lob and Smash

manual