Why might Princess Kate not attend the Wimbledon final?

Buckingham Palace is concerned about a possible diplomatic incident if Princess of Wales Kate Middleton has to present the trophy to a player from Russia or Belarus at the 2025 Wimbledon final.

Princess Kate may miss the 2025 Wimbledon final - Photo: LAPRESSE

Many speculate that Princess Kate may skip the 2025 Wimbledon women's singles final to avoid the "awkward" situation of having to present the championship trophy to a player from Belarus or Russia.

The possibility of a political awards ceremony is becoming very real. Especially as world number one Aryna Sabalenka (Belarus) is cruising into the semi-finals without dropping a set at Wimbledon this year.

Following the conflict in Ukraine, Russian and Belarusian athletes were initially banned from competing at Wimbledon in 2022. Although the bans have since been lifted, underlying tensions remain.

The 27-year-old Sabalenka, a three-time Grand Slam champion, is not alone. Along with her, there are three other Russian players in the quarter-finals, including Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, Mirra Andreeva and Liudmila Samsonova.

If Sabalenka or any Russian player reaches the Wimbledon final and wins or is runner-up, they will theoretically receive the trophy and have the customary conversation with the Princess of Wales.

However, reports from the Daily Mail suggest such an event could cause serious diplomatic problems for the palace.

Accordingly, Princess Kate is said to need direct guidance on how to interact with these tennis players in the context of the ongoing conflict.

Speculation about Kate's absence is not new. In 2023, a similar scenario threatened to arise when Sabalenka was dominating the semi-finals. But she was eventually eliminated by Ons Jabeur, avoiding a diplomatic "headache".

However, The Times reported that year that Princess Kate would keep to tradition and present the trophy regardless of the player's nationality.

However, the British press is concerned that with four players from Russia or Belarus in the quarter-finals, the possibility of this sensitive diplomatic situation happening is very high.

A proposal for Kate to attend the final but not present the trophy has reportedly been rejected, leaving open the possibility that she may not be present at the final.

THANH DINH

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/vi-sao-cong-nuong-kate-co-the-khong-du-khan-tran-chung-ket-wimbledon-20250709085959551.htm