After the Wimbledon quarterfinal match between Juan Martin del Potro and Rafa Nadal, I was pretty depressed. The only light, for me, was Serena Williams. If Serena didn’t win her semifinal on Thursday, I was prepared to start a fire. A cleansing fire to release all of the bad tennis mojo and start fresh and new, with hopefully a better draw. Thankfully, no fires were started, at least by me. Serena won her semifinal against Julia Goerges in somewhat comfortable straight sets, 6-2, 6-4. Julia played very well throughout the brief encounter, but if anything, Serena is just getting better with each match she plays on Wimbledon Center Court.
On Saturday, Serena will face a familiar foe in the Ladies’ Singles final: Angelique Kerber, a tricky German who has beaten Serena in a Slam final before, in the 2016 Australian Open final. They also met in the 2016 Wimbledon final, where Serena beat Kerber in straight sets. Kerber’s 2017 was a huge struggle, but she’s been back in peak-2016 form this year, winning big matches and running like crazy. Kerber and Serena are friends off the court and they have a lot of respect for each other. Kerber’s not going to give Serena the championship though, and this will be Serena’s toughest match. She’s going to need a lot of support, from friends and family. Thankfully, she can count on some support from some royal buddies:
The Duchess of Cambridge, @Wimbledon Patron, and The Duchess of Sussex will attend the Ladies' Singles Final on Saturday 14th July #Wimbledon
— Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal) July 12, 2018
On Sunday 15th July, The Duchess of Cambridge along with The Duke of Cambridge will attend the @Wimbledon Gentlemen's Singles Final #Wimbledon
— Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal) July 12, 2018
I wonder why William doesn’t want to attend the women’s final? I think I know the answer to that, actually: years ago, William apparently told Serena that he was a bigger fan of Venus. Serena was shook! LOL. No, I think it’s really sweet and cool and that Meghan and Kate will both be in attendance for Serena’s final. Serena and Meghan have known each other for years and have quite a nice friendship, and Serena – being a queen – has always enjoyed chatting with Duchess Kate. The big question is: will Kate and Meghan sit beside each other in the Royal Box?
Also: I don’t mind that Meghan isn’t going to the men’s final. The quarterfinal (Delpo/Nadal) was the match of the tournament, and that can’t be helped. Plus, today’s blockbuster semifinal between Nadal and Novak Djokovic is the real final – whoever wins that match will go on to win Wimbledon, I’m almost 99% sure. So Meghan can skip it.
Can’t help but smile. See you Saturday, #Wimbledon! ☺️ pic.twitter.com/FcZoN7CbdU
— Serena Williams (@serenawilliams) July 12, 2018
Photos courtesy of WENN, Backgrid, Pacific Coast News.
Ah this is what it’s really about for the royal
Ladies. Access to great seats at the tennis. Eye roll.
Meghan sat in Serena’s box 2 years ago. She didn’t need Harry to go to Wimbledon.
Huh? Meghan has attending these games for years. She usually sits in the family box. I kind of hope she does Saturday but I know she wont.
It will be nice seeing just the two Duchesses together without their husbands to break the ice. I really hope they get along well because they will be compared to each other for the rest of their life, and it sucks to have an icy relationship with your in-laws, but imagine having to deal with racists and trolls all the time, specially considering all the protocol that Meghan must follow giving the peckiing order. It would be nice if they really did became friendly with each other.
Funny you say this, given that my in-laws are racists and trolls. Wish I was kidding. LOL
I honestly feel they get along just fine and this supposed rivalry is tabloid nonsense and a figment of people’s imaginations.
I’m sure they get along just fine but I want them to be besties–it would cause chaos among royal “fans” and I would LOVE that.
True! I would love if they became BFFs, going on duchess dates and all. Leave the men at home!
Them being BFFs would be sweet.
It will be interesting to see if Meghan and Kate actually sit next to each other and also if they coordinate their clothing.
Of course the duchesses will be sitting next to each other.
I’m glad they are going together on Saturday! I know this won’t end the stupid stories about how much they hate each other, but hopefully the smart people will realise there’s no need to pit them against each other all the time.
I can’t wait to see their sporty faces and what they wear
I hope they sit together, definitely! It would be nice seeing them get along so people can stop pitting them against each other. They are the stars of the royal family anyways, I think they should do MORE events together.
It would be sort of ridiculous if they didn’t sit with each other.
Speaking of sporty faces, are they allowed to openly favour one player? If not, I’d find it SO hard as MM to not clearly support my friend!
Kate and William have been openly supportive of Federer so I don’t see why it would be any different for Meghan.
Yeah, they’re allowed. There’s old footage of Diana on Youtube cheering Steffi Graf on.
People think they hate each other? I can’t see why they would. They are very different so perhaps they aren’t sisterly but dislike or hate seems strong.
I know this is a dumb question but “Does Kate have female friends?”. Not including her family members.
Seems the Meghan has all these friends and is not close to her father’s side of the family.
And Kate is the opposite.
Either way I look forward to the body language analysis’ if kate and meghan sit next to each other.
No she doesn’t. The friends she had she gave up when dating William. The couple that are credited as being her friends have been friends with William since before they even met. And after she got the ring she seems to stopped trying even with them. Outside of her family she doesn’t really have anyone.
Didn’t she just makenone if her school friends (from Marlborough) gormother to Louis?
Yes, Louis’ godmother Hannah Carter is a friend of Kate’s from Marlborough College.
Emilia Jardine-Paterson is another friend of Kate’s from Marlborough College, she is George’s godmother.
Emilia is one of William’s friends and was the one who first got Kate into events with that set and near William. Knows where the bodies are buried.
My impression is that she has one or two close girlfriends from her pre-William days, but all her other friends are joint friends with William (most seem to be William’s friends.) But of course she could have friends that we just never see or hear about.
Actually, yes, she does. Emilia Jardin-Paterson, who she has known since Marlborough (pre-William, though Emilia also knew Wiliam growing up). Alicia Fox-Pitt, also from Malborough. Alice St. John Webster, Marlborough. Hannah Carter, Marlborough.
She does have other close female friends that she met through WIlliam, which to me seems perfectly natural as they’ve been together since age 21. I can name those, too, if you’d like.
That’s good to hear.
So much of the Kate narrative is wrapped around William and their kids instead of some amount of who Kate is herself.
It’s strange that I have seen Kate in the news for a decade but still have no idea who she is.
I have only heard of meghan for a year and it’s easier to understand who she is.
I suspect Kate has friends. She is probably just careful to pick friends who don’t run to the media. In their positions, they probably pick their friends carefully.
If I were famous, I’d probably not trust anyone since everything I say in private could be repeated back in a tweet.
Some of Meghan’s friends are high-profile, and I can kind of see why. They’re probably less likely to run off to the media for money like that one best friend she had from childhood or her sister (with family like that who needs enemies?).
As others have noted, while Kate is very close to her mother and sisters, she also has female friends.
They are some women who gravitate more towards spending time with their partners,mothers and siblings than having a bunch of girlfriends. I have read the same on Beyonce and Angelina Jolie not really having friends.
Well Kate has that one friend who runs the for-profit orgies in country houses …
!
Two duchesses to watch a queen.
lol, well said. Queen Serena get her fame virtually by her sheer talent and hard work. Duchesses only get names recognition via the family they were married in.
You could say the same about Queen Elizabeth except she was born royal.
Only one Duchess
I’m puzzled. What do you mean by “only one duchess” Jane?
@Jane
2 Duchesses; Kate isn’t Princess of Wales yet. Unless you’re being shady.
Technically they are both princesses through their husbands. Princess William of Wales and Princess Henry of Wales.
I think Jane was trying to say Kate got her recognition by marrying William, but that Meghan was already a STAH before she married Harry. That was my read on it anyway (even if I disagree with that sentiment).
Lovely slogan for the day!
I was expecting to see Meghan at one of the matches this year and I’m glad its the final! Knowing she is friends with Serena will just make it that much more fun to watch.
I do feel bad for her and Kate in a way, bc their body language is going to be so scrutinized. If Kate looks at Meghan and isn’t smiling, if Meghan leans away from Kate for a split second, etc.
I also agree with the theory that this is why Kate went to the RAF event this week. If she had shown up at Wimbledon but not that, people would have flipped.
ETA (and by people, I mean us on this blog, LOL.)
Can’t wait to see Meghan. Is this the first time Kate has gone to the Women’s final?
She went once before, which I believe was the last time Serena won Wimbledon. Prior to that there was a lot of criticism that she and the Middletons only ever supported the men, mostly Federer and Andy Murray. When she was made patron she finally attended the women’s final for the first time.
Bahaha you guys know I live for this sh*t:
Wardrobe predictions? Will they color coordinate? Will Meghan wear a sherbert coat dress? Will Kate go all 2016 on us and pull out the sausage curls and wiglets? Will Meghan (gasp!) bust out the shoulders and the boat neck again?
I know they won’t, but I’d love it if Kate texted Meg all “what are you wearing tomorrow?” like I do with my sister or friends when we have places to go.
It’s nice to see them doing an event sans the men. Of course, I’m really just looking forward to seeing the clothes. Will Kate pull out her wedges? Will Meg wear her fedora? I actually think they will look like two ladies who lunch, and that’s good too 🙂
Also, go Serena (the real star of the show!).
DUCHESS DAY OUT! I’m hyped.
LOL same!
Of course they’re going to sit together. Why wouldn’t they? (Plus, they’re the two most important people there. What, one gets the front center seat while the other cranes their neck three rows back?)
No, duchesses are not the two most important people, the most 2 important people are the 2 players.
Ah Kate’s last-minute surprise attendance at the RAF event (but not the reception) makes sense. If she’d shown for Wimbledon but not that, it would have been a repeat of the Irish Guards seeing as the RAF is her military patronage.
Exactly. If she can break her “maternity leave” to attend a Wimbledon “work” event, then she can break it for other royal duties. It would have looked bad if she had missed the RAF event and gone to Wimbers.
The body language experts will be in meltdown trying to analyse the 2 women. It would be nice if they became friends but I really don’t think Kate will welcome being overshadowed by the more personable newcomer.
This is really be about Serena and her win…
Seeing Kate and Meghan is going to be nice, but Win Serena Win, Win it all.
This. I care more about Serena being able to get another title than whoever sits in the royal box. I don’t even know who was sitting in the box for the Delpo Nadal match because it was secondary to the epic match.
My thoughts exactly.
This should be interesting. I’m not trying to pin them against each other but their personalities are sooooooo different. I don’t think they’ll become friends nor foes.
Wonder if Pippa will show up to stretch her moment in the sun. Ack, well. I’m sure there will be sausage curls and awkward clapping from Kate and Meghan will likely wear a boatneck top and maybe a messy bun. I’m looking forward to it because I have no life, as I head into month 3 of being laid up with Turf Toe (with 2 broken toes just for good measure).
Get well soon!
Thank you. People laugh when they hear Turf Toe but this is serious crap. I empathize with football players and track runners who get this. It sucks.
Amd I was wrong on all fronts about Wimbledon (though I originally was going to start a pool on Kate wearing polka dots – I should’ve run with that!). Both ladies looked happy and like they were enjoying each other’s company. Kate’s dress was blah and Meghan’s outfit was fine from the waist up. The pants don’t match and they’re pooling on the ground again. Oh well. At least they appeared to have a lot of fun.
For sure the winner of Nadal/Djokovic is winning, because Isner/Anderson are both going to be so exhausted after this.
Can’t wait to see both Duchesses, and Queen Serena.
Cool! I hope we get some pretty pictures from it!