Jannik Sinner successfully defended his Wimbledon men’s singles title on Sunday night, beating Germany’s Alexander Zverev in a four-set battle on Centre Court. The Italian was congratulated afterwards by the Prince and Princess of Wales and their two eldest children, Prince George and Princess Charlotte, following a trophy presentation from Kate herself.
Sinner came through a tense contest to beat Zverev 6-7, 7-6, 6-3, 6-4, recovering from a first-set loss to seal his second consecutive Wimbledon title in a match lasting just under four hours. The win makes him only the tenth man in the Open era to successfully defend the Wimbledon men’s singles crown, and confirms his status as the first Italian man to claim multiple titles at the tournament. Sinner’s path to the final was made easier by the absence of rival Carlos Alcaraz, who was ruled out through injury, while Zverev was left to extend his wait for a maiden Grand Slam singles title after appearing in his first Wimbledon final.
Royal box reaction and trophy presentation
As patron of the All England Lawn Tennis Club, Kate carried out her customary role of presenting the winner’s trophy to Sinner on Centre Court, having watched the match unfold from the Royal Box alongside her husband and children. Prince George, 12, and Princess Charlotte, 11, appeared keen to speak with the 24-year-old champion, sharing a laugh with him before shaking his hand in the players’ area, where Sinner posed for photographs while holding the trophy. William and Kate also engaged Sinner in conversation, asking him questions as he held onto his prize. Their youngest son, Prince Louis, 8, was not present for the occasion.
Reflecting on his win, Sinner praised the atmosphere at Wimbledon, describing Centre Court as one of the most special places in tennis and thanking the crowd for its support throughout the tournament. The victory further cements his position as the world’s top-ranked player, continuing a run that has established him as one of the most dominant figures on the ATP Tour.
A day of royal appearances on court
Kate’s visit to Centre Court extended beyond the final itself. Earlier in the day, she shook hands with British player Arthur Fery, who became the first wildcard entrant in 25 years to reach the Wimbledon semi-finals, before his run was ended by Zverev on Friday. Speaking about his brief but memorable connection with the Royal Family, Fery said: “I mean the princess came to my match in the second round, it was great to have her there and we spoke a little about that. It was good to see her here and good to meet her finally. She wished me good luck for the rest of the year and congratulated me for these two weeks.” Fery, who stands 5ft 9in, added that he had extended an open invitation to the young royals: “I know the whole family are all tennis fans, so I told her if her kids ever wanted to hit, I’m free. It would be good to see them again.”
Beating the heat in the Royal Box
Temperatures on Centre Court reached 29C on Sunday, and while Kate initially seemed unbothered by the conditions, she and her family briefly stepped away before returning wearing woven sunhats. Prince George was seen using a portable fan to keep cool, paired with a pair of orange sunglasses for the occasion. Kate completed her outfit with her “Wimbledon bow,” a brooch featuring the tournament’s signature colours, having chosen a green dress for the day.
A repeat of last year’s final
Sunday’s presentation echoed the scene at last year’s tournament, when Kate also handed Sinner the trophy following a closely fought four-set final. On that occasion too, she was joined in the Royal Box by William, George and Charlotte, with Louis again staying at home. The pattern has become a familiar one for the Wales family, who have regularly attended the Wimbledon finals together in recent years, with Louis consistently the only one of their three children yet to make an appearance at the men’s singles showpiece.
