Kate Middleton to join Roger Federer on court at the O2 for charity tennis event
Kate Middleton will show off her tennis skills alongside Roger Federer in east London next month to promote the sport to young people.
The Duchess of Cambridge will be joined at the O2 by the Swiss ace, who her mum Carole harbours a secret crush on, for The Laver Cup Open Practice Day that will be staged on September 22.
Fans will get the chance to watch Federer and other tennis greats from Team Europe and Team World during their final on-court practice for the competition.
Sports loving Kate, 40, now patron of Wimbledon All England Tennis Club, wants to inspire more youngsters to take part in her favourite sport.
The event will raise money for two organisations of which Kate is patron - Action for Children and the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA), whose charitable arm is the LTA Tennis Foundation.
The collaboration between the Laver Cup, which was co-founded by Federer, and the two charities was Kate’s idea, Kensington Palace said.
Federer, 41, regarded as the greatest tennis player of all time, is a family friend of the Middleton family.
He struck up a friendship with Kate’s sister, Pippa Matthews, when she interviewed him for Vanity Fair magazine ahead of Wimbledon 2013, and he was a guest her wedding.
Kate spoke of her love of tennis in the film, Sue Barker: Our Wimbledon and said watching Wimbledon 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,” she said.
Laughing, Kate let slip: “Roger [Federer] is my mother’s heartthrob. I don’t think she will mind me saying that! I think he probably knows that too.”
Last year she donned her tennis kit to have a kick about with US Open winner Emma Raducanu at the National Tennis Centre, Roehampton.
Kate, and her family have become a permanent fixture in the Royal Box at the Centre Court.
Federer is her son George’s favourite player, and the 20-times grand slam champion has given coaching tips to the prince in the past, playing him after meeting the royal youngster at the home of Kate’s parents in Bucklebury, Berkshire in 2019.
The Swiss player revealed George had a “good technique”.
Federer has spent more than 18 years in the top ten, including being the oldest No. 1, when he was 36.
Tickets go on sale on Monday August 22.
