Kate Middleton Shows off Athletic Prowess, Plays Tennis With US Open Champ Emma Raducanu

Emma Raducanu recently celebrated her U.S. Open victory by playing alongside die-hard tennis fan Kate Middleton upon the teen's return to the U.K.

The Duchess of Cambridge, 39, played tennis with the 18-year-old athlete in South London Thursday for a homecoming event celebrating the teen's 2021 U.S. Open win over Canada's Leylah Fernandez.

Middleton wore a navy blue tennis outfit to team up with Raducanu for a match at the National Tennis Centre in Roehampton. They played against Raducanu's fellow British U.S. Open winners, wheelchair doubles pair Alfie Hewett and Gordon Reid, and Joe Salisbury, who took home this year's men's doubles title and mix doubles title, Us Weekly reported.

Raducanu and Salisbury were all praises for Middleton, who is a patron of the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) and a longtime fan of the sport.

"[Duchess Kate's] forehand was incredible," Raducanu told Yahoo Sports U.K. following the match. "I was very impressed. It was a lot of fun to play tennis with the duchess."

Salisbury, 29, shared the same opinion, saying that Middleton's athletic prowess was remarkable.

"It was really good fun. I was very impressed by Kate’s level," he told the same outlet. "She obviously loves it and has played a lot before, but it was good fun to be on court with her. Her forehand was very good."

Raducanu's U.S. Open victory was her first major Grand Slam title and was historic as she was the first British woman to win a Grand Slam singles title in 44 years. Raducanu was also the first ever player to achieve the feat as a qualifier.

The duchess penned a sweet message for the rising athlete on Twitter to congratulate her on her victory.

"Huge congratulations @EmmaRaducanu on your stunning performances and historic Grand Slam victory! Incredible –we are all so proud of you," Middleton tweeted. "@LeylahFernandez well done on your amazing achievements at this year’s #USOpen, it’s been a pleasure to watch."

During her visit to the National Tennis Centre Thursday, Middleton, who is a yearly staple at Wimbledon, also met with teenagers from across the U.K. who are part of the LTA's Youth Program, which aims to inspire the next generation of young players ages 4 to 18.

"Her Royal Highness is passionate about supporting grassroots tennis and encouraging young people from all backgrounds to become involved in the sport," Kensington Palace said in a statement.

In 2013, Middleton missed out on a monumental year at Wimbledon, when Brit Andy Murray won the men's finals.

Prince William's wife was heavily pregnant at the time with Prince George and was not allowed by her doctor to attend the tournament. Although she didn't witness Murray beat Novak Djokovic, she sent the winner a letter.

"I was very heavily pregnant. I wrote to him [Murray] afterwards saying sorry for not being there," Middleton previously said.