Famously athletic and competitive, it’s no surprise that the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have been introducing their young children to the world of sport. Now at the age where they’re picking up their own hobbies, there are two sports in particular that the Duke of Cambridge has said he hopes Prince George and Princess Charlotte – and eventually Prince Louis – will pick up: tennis and football.
Speaking with Wimbledon’s 2018 Men’ Singles champion Novak Djokovic just after the Serbian player claimed the title, William was caught on camera saying that he was “trying to get a tennis racket in their hands…and a football!” William’s hope for his children’s sports future came when Djokovic – a new father himself – enquired as to how the young royals were doing, to which William replied “very well” before sharing his hopes.
Both the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are avid tennis fans – playing themselves and following the sport closely – with the Duchess having taken on the role of Patron of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club from The Queen in late 2016. She attended Wimbledon twice this year, watching the Men’ Singles Final with William on Sunday and the Ladies’ Singles Final with her sister-in-law, the Duchess of Sussex the day before.
The Duchess of Cambridge has shared previously that her children are already experimenting with tennis, telling retired player Greg Rusedski at Wimbledon last year that “[George has] got a racket and he enjoys playing tennis” though he hadn’t quite mastered the finer elements of the game just yet.
Rusedski added that: “She says with George just being four, he wants to whack a ball, so she was asking what sort of stuff she should be doing. They will struggle at that age to hit a ball. She said he’s interested in it, but more in whacking the ball.”
Princess Charlotte is also learning the sport, reportedly taking tennis lessons at the exclusive Hurlingham Club in London as Kensington Palace does not have a tennis court.
