The Princess of Wales has told a Wimbledon finalist that she is “inspirational” for continuing to play tennis while undergoing treatment for cancer. Canadian tennis player Gabriela Dabrowski, who will play in the ladies’ doubles final on Centre Court on Sunday, met Kate at the championships on Saturday afternoon.
Wearing a strawberry red belted top and red pleated midi skirt, the princess spoke with Dabrowski before taking her seat in the royal box to watch the ladies’ singles final. Dabrowski, 34, was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2024, and has continued to play throughout her treatment – something she discovered Kate knew about already when they spoke.
Emotional Exchange on Centre Court
The tennis player said: “I guess someone told her, so she acknowledged that and just said it was amazing that I was still playing going through treatment, and she said it was very inspirational, which I feel the same likewise with her story as well. Just a very beautiful moment. I didn’t expect to be emotional, but yeah, very strange feeling.”
Dabrowski, who has a “few more years” of hormone therapy left to undergo, said Kate told her that she believes sport can “prove that your body is still strong”.
Shared Cancer Journeys
At the end of June, Kate, who herself revealed she was being treated for cancer in 2024, took on the Three Peaks Challenge in aid of the Royal Marsden Cancer Charity. The future queen completed the challenge, which involves climbing the highest mountains in Scotland, England and Wales, within 24 hours.
Dabrowski said: “That’s what she loves about sport, is that you can still prove that your body is strong, and so I think that was that was really cool to hear from her. I love that she loves her sport. So yeah, just a beautiful moment.”
Young Tennis Enthusiast Also Meets Princess
Also in the line-up to meet Kate was Shirley Rodriguez Yugsi, 11, who performed the coin toss for the ladies’ singles final on Centre Court, representing the Wimbledon Junior Tennis Initiative (WJTI). Shirley said meeting the princess was “unbelievable”, adding: “It was like a dream. I didn’t think it was happening. It was amazing. I would have never thought that I would get to shake her hand.”
She said Kate asked her what she was going to be doing that afternoon, and Shirley told her she had been selected for the coin toss. “She said she was proud of me for doing for achieving it… for being the one picked to do it,” Shirley said.
Wimbledon Junior Tennis Initiative Impact
Shirley has been a part of the WJTI for eight years. Funded by the Wimbledon Foundation, the WJTI is a community outreach programme which aims to introduce children from across Merton and Wandsworth to tennis, developing their skills and building their confidence. “It’s just improving my life a lot,” Shirley said. “I feel that my mindset is more organised, and when I play tennis, it’s like the only place I can escape from reality. For some, it may be reading books. For me, it’s tennis.”
