“Cute Boy”: Roger Federer on Training Tennis With Prince William’s During Wimbledon Championships

Among the many Roger Federer fans who must have felt gutted watching the eight-time Wimbledon champion bowing out to a rousing ovation from a full house at Centre Court was none other than Kate Middleton, better known now by her royal moniker ‘Duchess of Cambridge’.

An avid tennis fan and patron of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, the Duchess wasn’t in attendance at the Centre Court on what turned out to be a woeful Wednesday for her friend as she is believed to be self-isolating after coming into contact with a person who later tested positive for Covid-19.

Roger Federer and Duchess of Cambridge have been friends for years

The Duchess and Federer have been close friends for years and the Swiss had even visited her royal residence in Norfolk in 2019 and given her son George a tennis lesson. The 20-time Grand Slam champion, who happens to be George’s favorite tennis player, played with the young prince.

Later, speaking to British daily Daily Star, Federer was fulsome in praise of the prince’s tennis skills. He was quoted as saying that at Goerge’s age at the time, it’s all about catching tennis balls on the racquet.

“At that stage it’s all about touching the ball, it’s the same with my boys,” Federer said on his visit to the royal residence at the time. On being asked about him being the prince’s favorite player, the Swiss said he was, perhaps, the only tennis player that George has ever met, and hence, he was at an “advantage” in that regard.

Federer was all praise for Prine George’s tennis skills
“I think I have a little advantage that I actually spent time with him. So maybe I’m the only player he has ever met. Then you have a little head start on who is your favorite player,” Federer was further quoted as saying at the time.

Calling the prince a “cute boy”, he added that the Duchess takes more than a passing interest in tennis and the prince has clearly taken after his mother in his love for the sport.

He added that he hoped the prince will continue to have an interest in the sport and it won’t just be an “in-the-moment situation”.