FROM RUSSIA W IT H LO V E
Kate’s great at Wimbledon as Moscow-born player wins
IT could have been an awkward moment but the Duchess of Cambridge did an ace job yesterday when she presented the Wimbledon Ladies trophy to a surprise winner – from Russia.
The country’s players are banned from tournaments because of the Ukraine war, but Moscow-born Elena Rybakina switched allegiance to Kazakhstan four years ago.
Her win over Tunisia’s Ons Jabeur could be used as propaganda by the Putin regime. But Kate, 40, took it all in her stride.
She congratulated Elena with a huge gracious smile and made a point of commiserating with match loser Ons, tenderly rubbing the disappointed player’s arm.
The Duchess wore a £1,095 sunshine yellow Roksanda dress to watch the final from the royal box on a blazing hot Centre Court.
She was joined by movie actor Tom Cruise, Killing Eve star Jodie Comer and pop’s
Ellie Goulding as Elena took one hour and 48 minutes to beat Ons 3-6 6-2 6-2.
Other A-listers in the SW19 crowd included Downton actress Dame Maggie Smith and Sir Cliff Richard.
Elena, 23, became the youngest women’s
Wimbledon champion since Petra Kvitova in 2011.
She first picked up a racquet aged six and decided to focus on tennis after being told she was too tall for her other sports, gymnastics and figure skating.
When she turned professional at 17, she represented Russia and still has a home in Moscow where her parents live.
Asked if she fears Russia may try to politicise her win, Elena said: “I don’t know what’s going to happen... but I cannot do anything about this.”
And when asked if she condemns the Ukraine war, she said: “Sorry, my English is not the greatest. I didn’t understand... I can only say that I’m representing Kazakhstan. I didn’t choose where I was born.”
“People believed in me. Kazakhstan supported me so much. Even today I heard so many support. I saw the flags.
So I don’t know how to answer these questions.”
Describing meeting Kate, Elena said: “She congratulated me. She said I played really well. I mean, I was in shock so maybe half I didn’t hear... But for sure she was super nice. It was amazing to get the trophy from her.”
The Duchess of Cambridge, the All England club’s patron, also met two semi-finalists in the inaugural 14 and under junior championships – the UK’S Isabelle Britton, 14, and the USA’S Carel Ngounoue, 13.
As they discussed British No1 Cameron Norrie’s semi-final defeat by Novak Djokovic on Friday, Kate said: “He had such a good game, he really did.” In today’s men’s final, Novak plays tennis badboy Nick Kyrgios.
patrick.hill@mirror.co.uk