The Princess of Wales, Sir Andy Murray and Anne Keothavong discussed the challenges of parenthood when she joined the tennis stars at Wimbledon, Keothavong has said.
Kate attended the championships during the first week, where she greeted fans in Wimbledon’s famous queue and supported British players Katie Swan and Arthur Fery out on court.
Five-time British number one Keothavong sat with Kate in court one to watch Swan face America’s Madison Keys, and said she, Sir Andy and the princess spent time discussing their children.
Hackney-born Keothavong, 42, told reporters on Tuesday: “She didn’t stop chatting, it was brilliant.
“Andy was there as well and we all have kids (who are of a) similar age, so a lot of the chat revolved around that, and tennis, and encouraging young kids to play and the challenges that we face as parents.”
She added: “It was really fun. She was really interested in the tennis and really easy to talk to.”
Asked how much detail the princess, a tennis player herself, went into when discussing the tennis, Keothavong said: “I think she had a huge amount of appreciation for the power that the players were able to produce, and the athleticism of both Katie and Madison.
“If anything, it was more just appreciation for the players and what they were able to do out there.”
Former Australian Open champion Keys – a two-time Wimbledon quarter-finalist – ended British interest in the women’s singles by beating Swan 6-1 6-4.
Keothavong said it has been a “difficult” championships for female British players, adding: “I think most of them had tough draws and I think what British fans expect are probably sometimes unrealistic when you look at the bigger picture.
“But then there were also one or two losses where you would have expected a British player to come through that.
“I think it’s just been tough overall for everyone, but you win some, you lose some, don’t you?”
Keothavong has two children with her husband, lawyer Andrew Bretherton – a daughter, Ava, who was born in 2015, and a son, William, born in 2017.
Sir Andy and wife Kim have four children – Sophia, 10; Edie, eight; Teddy, six; and Lola, five.
The tennis star has been friends with Kate for many years, with the princess sharing a touching tribute to the 39-year-old after he played his final Wimbledon match in 2024.
Kate, patron of the All England Club, was joined at last year’s championships by husband William and their son Prince George, 12, and daughter Princess Charlotte, 11, when Kate presented the men’s singles trophy to Jannik Sinner.
The Prince and Princess of Wales’s third child, Louis, celebrated his eighth birthday in April.
