Princess Kate put on the spot as Wimbledon star has request after breaking British hearts | Tennis | Sport

Madison Keys ended Brit hopes in the women’s singles draw at Wimbledon as she beat the last British woman standing, Katie Swan, 6-1 6-4 on the No. 1 Court. There were some very special guests in the crowd, as Princess Kate sat alongside two-time former champion Andy Murray to watch Swan attempt to cause an upset.

The British wildcard put up a good fight in the second set, but 2025 Australian Open champion Keys proved too experienced for Swan, whose career was derailed by a back injury before she mounted a comeback last year. And it’s no surprise Keys feels right at home on the grass, as she recently won the Eastbourne Open for the third time.

Now, the 26th seed wants the Eastbourne courts transported to the All England Club. And on-court interviewer Lee McKenzie singled out the Princess of Wales, joking that some special guests in the crowd might be able to get things moving for Keys.

After sealing victory with a forehand winner, the American told the crowd: “It’s always an honour to play on Court 1 here at Wimbledon and in front of a crowd that, even if they’re cheering for my opponent, it’s always fun playing in front of them, and such an amazing atmosphere and when Katie hits an incredible shot and the whole crowd cheers, it echoes incredibly. It’s such an incredible atmosphere to be able to play here year after year.

“To win another title in Eastbourne was absolutely amazing. I won my first title there many, many years ago, so to be able to win another one all these years later is incredible. And I have petitioned to maybe move the Eastbourne courts to Wimbledon! I don’t know if anyone here can make that happen, but I’m hoping to go deep here at Wimbledon again.”

And McKenzie had a clever suggestion. “There are probably a few people who could make that happen, because two of them were watching you,” she replied.

“I’m not sure if you realised there was royalty in the crowd. I don’t just mean Sir Andy Murray! You had Her Royal Highness, the Princess of Wales in the crowd as well, who is a patron of Wimbledon.”

There were cheers around the court as fans applauded the mention of Princess Kate, and Keys had a big smile on her face. The No. 26 seed was then asked what Wimbledon meant to her, and replied: “Wimbledon is always just one of the most special places in the world.

“I started playing tennis because I saw Venus [Williams] playing at Wimbledon, so quite literally wouldn’t be here without this tournament, and it’s just such an honour to come back every single year.

“To be able to kind of walk the grounds and just see the history of the tournament, and to have gone into the second week a couple of times here, hopefully another time coming around. It’s just one of those things, when you’re a little kid, you dream of.”

Keys is now guaranteed to face another American woman if she wants to reach week two again. She awaits the winner of a match between Sofia Kenin and No. 6 seed Amanda Anisimova, last year’s runner-up.

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