Barbora Krejcikova of the Czech Republic holds up the winners trophy after she defeated Jasmine Paolini of Italy in the women's singles final at the Wimbledon tennis championships in London, Saturday, July 13, 2024. (John Walton/PA via AP)
Kate, Princess of Wales waves as she makes her way to Center Court ahead of the men's singles final at the Wimbledon tennis championships in London, Sunday, July 14, 2024.(AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali)
Tom Cruise, centre, stands with Benedict Cumberbatch, right, and Sophie Hunter, left, as he arrives on Centre Court ahead of the men's singles final at the Wimbledon tennis championships in London, Sunday, July 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
Benedict Cumberbatch, with Shoppe Hunter in the Royal Box ahead of the men's singles final match at the Wimbledon tennis championships in London, Sunday, July 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Mosa'ab Elshamy)
Britain's Princess Charlotte watches the trophy ceremony after the men's singles final between Carlos Alcaraz of Spain and Novak Djokovic of Serbia, at the Wimbledon tennis championships in London, Sunday, July 14, 2024. (Mike Egerton/PA via AP)
Barbora Krejcikova of the Czech Republic holds up the winners trophy after she defeated Jasmine Paolini of Italy in the women's singles final at the Wimbledon tennis championships in London, Saturday, July 13, 2024. (John Walton/PA via AP)
Kate, Princess of Wales waves as she makes her way to Center Court ahead of the men's singles final at the Wimbledon tennis championships in London, Sunday, July 14, 2024.(AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali)
Tom Cruise, centre, stands with Benedict Cumberbatch, right, and Sophie Hunter, left, as he arrives on Centre Court ahead of the men's singles final at the Wimbledon tennis championships in London, Sunday, July 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
Benedict Cumberbatch, with Shoppe Hunter in the Royal Box ahead of the men's singles final match at the Wimbledon tennis championships in London, Sunday, July 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Mosa'ab Elshamy)
AG
Britain's Princess Charlotte watches the trophy ceremony after the men's singles final between Carlos Alcaraz of Spain and Novak Djokovic of Serbia, at the Wimbledon tennis championships in London, Sunday, July 14, 2024. (Mike Egerton/PA via AP)
LONDON (AP) — Kate, the Princess of Wales, handed Carlos Alcaraz the champion's trophy after the Wimbledon men's final at the All England Club on Sunday in only her second public appearance since announcing she was diagnosed with cancer.
Kate, wife of heir to the throne , was greeted by a standing ovation when she arrived in the Royal Box at Centre Court to watch . After leaving the court following the trophy ceremony, the princess and Alcaraz had a conversation in a room inside the tournament's main stadium.
“You played so well,†Kate told him. “Enjoy the win.â€
Earlier, Kate — wearing a purple dress, one of Wimbledon’s official colors — went from the stands down to the playing surface to present the trophies, part of her duties as patron of the All England Club, which hosts the annual tournament.
She shook hands with some of the ball kids who worked at the tournament, then exchanged words with both players and applauded for Alcaraz after giving him the winner's trophy for the second year in a row.
“It was, of course, a privilege to be in her presence again. I’ve said to her that it is very nice to see her in good health; she seems to be in good health," Djokovic said at his postmatch news conference. "That’s obviously very positive news for everyone in this country, but also for Wimbledon.â€
Kate and her 9-year-old daughter, Princess Charlotte, got to the site of the grass-court Grand Slam tournament in southwest London in a motorcade about a half-hour before the final was scheduled to begin. They went to a terrace at the club that is connected to the main stadium by a pedestrian walkway and greeted several people, including 2021 U.S. Open champion Emma Raducanu and other young British tennis players.
Also in the Royal Box for the final were Kate's sister, Pippa Matthews, actors Tom Cruise and Benedict Cumberbatch and several past Wimbledon champions, including Rod Laver, Andre Agassi and Stefan Edberg.
Since 2016, Kate has been the patron of the All England Club. She did not attend Saturday when for the women's title.
Kate revealed in March that she has an unspecified form of cancer and was undergoing chemotherapy. Her lone public appearance since then had been attending last month’s for King Charles III. Before that event, she released a statement but still had “good days and bad days.â€
Prince William has been a regular at Wimbledon finals but was not there Sunday. Instead, he planned to be in Germany to watch England face Spain in the final of the men’s soccer . He is the president of the English Football Association.
