Jannik Sinner has revealed what was said during his post-match chat with the Princess of Wales and her family.
Having beaten world No. 2 and his long-time rival, Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik was whisked away for a number of duties, including a meet-and-greet with the royal family.
The Princess of Wales is patron of the All England Lawn Tennis Club and regularly attends both the Men’s and Women’s Finals. She presented Jannik and Carlos with their trophies after their four-set showdown on Sunday.
She was at the match with her husband William, the Prince of Wales, and their two eldest children, George, 11, and Charlotte, ten.
Jannik, who became the first Italian to win a singles title at Wimbledon, met with the tennis-loving royals after the match and asked them an all-important question:
“In the beginning, I didn’t know what to say,” he shared in his post-match press conference. “I asked the kids if they play tennis and asked them what kind of rackets they play with, these kind of things.”
© GettyThe new Wimbledon champion gave the two young royals signed tennis balls, alongside a third for their younger brother, Prince Louis, who was not present.
Jannik expressed his gratitude for the meeting during the press conference, saying:
“You see how much they care about tennis and the sport itself. It’s very prestigious. I’ve been lucky to meet her and the whole family, and it was a very nice moment.”
The Princess thanked the champion for his “kind” gesture, and offered him “huge congratulations” as their meeting came to an end.
© GettyHer love of tennis has been passed on to her children. Prince George first attended Wimbledon in 2022 with his parents, while his younger sister Charlotte made her royal box debut in 2023.
The Waleses were not the only royals in attendance at the men’s final. King Felipe VI of Spain flew in to watch his compatriot in the final from the royal box, for which Carlos thanked him publicly.
Jannik appeared very emotional after his victory over Carlos, whom he had battled in the final of the French Open earlier this year. While the Spaniard came out on top on that occasion, he praised Jannik for his “really well-deserved” victory at the All England Club.
The two players are fast building a famous rivalry, with both speaking about their “amazing relationship off-the-court” in their speeches after the final.