For nearly 20 years, Princess Kate has been a familiar and beloved presence at Wimbledon.

As a passionate tennis fan and patron of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club since 2016, her regular appearances at the iconic tournament have become a cherished tradition for royal watchers.

As the finals weekend draws near, many fans are hopeful that the Princess of Wales will attend this year’s concluding matches and continue her tradition of presenting the championship trophies, as she has in recent years.

A Heartfelt Moment With Ons Jabeur

During last year’s tournament, Kate took on her usual role of awarding trophies to the finalists, including Tunisian tennis star Ons Jabeur, who had just experienced a second consecutive Wimbledon final defeat, along with a loss at the US Open final the same year.

As Jabeur received her runner-up trophy, Kate offered kind words of encouragement—then stepped beyond the typical bounds of royal formality and gave the emotional athlete a warm and extended hug.

Later reflecting on the encounter, Jabeur shared: “Obviously, she was very nice. She didn’t know if she wanted to give me a hug or not. I told her hugs are always welcome from me.”

When asked what Kate had said, Jabeur replied: “Same thing after last year. To encourage me to be strong, to come back and win a Grand Slam, win a Wimbledon.”