Princess Kate’s royal protocol break comforting teary Wimbledon star

The Princess of Wales is patron of the AELTC

The Princess of Wales swapped handshakes for a hug as she rushed to comfort a teary tennis star during a Wimbledon final.

In her role as patron of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, Kate traditionally hands out the winners and runners-up trophies.

Tunisian tennis star, Ons Jabeur, was emotional after coming runner-up in two consecutive finals, losing to Marketa Vondrousova in 2023.

The Princess stepped forward to speak to the player and was seen offering her words of encouragement before embracing Ons in a comforting hug.

Ons Jabeur of Tunisia is consoled by Catherine, Princess of Wales© Getty
Kate comforted the star

And in an exclusive interview with HELLO! last year, the tennis sensation opened up about the royal’s support post-match.

Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge hugs Ons Jabeur © Getty
Kate embraced Ons with a hug

Ons said of the Princess: “She was really the nicest. She has watched me twice, losing the final twice. 

“She kept asking me if she could hug me, and I was like, ‘Who doesn’t want a hug from a Princess, you know?’ “For me, it was such an amazing moment. And not just that, I felt her kindness and energy around me.” 

The two-time runner-up retired after struggling in the heat, leaving the court for 14 minutes for a medical timeout, in the first set of her match against Bulgaria’s Viktoriya Tomova on the opening day of the tournament this year

Will Princess Kate attend Wimbledon this year?

Kate, who is a huge tennis fan, is expected to attend the Championships in the coming days.

The men’s final last year marked her second major appearance of the year amid her cancer treatment.

Kate and Charlotte smile in royal box at Wimbledon© Getty
Kate and Charlotte at the men’s final last year

The Princess has been making a gradual return to her public duties during her recovery, confirming at the start of the year that she is in remission from the disease.

Kate’s parents, Carole and Michael Middleton, watched the action from the royal box on Centre Court on Monday.

Carole Middleton and Michael Middleton attend day eight of the Wimbledon Tennis Championships© WireImage
Carole and Michael at Wimbledon on Monday

Speaking of her love of the tournament, the royal told Sue Barker on a 2017 BBC documentary: “I have watched Wimbledon, that was very much part of my growing up. It’s such a quintessential part of the English summer, and I think it really inspires youngsters, myself, it inspired me when I was younger to get involved in the game. It hasn’t changed either, I think that’s what’s so wonderful.”