From Serena Williams' curtsy to Rafael Nadal declining a meeting, the most interesting incidents between tennis players and late Queen Elizabeth II
Queen Elizabeth II has had interactions with a number of tennis players over the years.
The monarch breathed her last on Thursday at Balmoral Castle, aged 96. She ascended to the throne on February 6, 1952, and died as the longest-serving monarch in the history of the British empire at 70 years and 219 days, surpassing Queen Victoria.
"The death of my beloved Mother, Her Majesty The Queen, is a moment of the greatest sadness for me and all members of my family. We mourn profoundly the passing of a cherished Sovereign and a much-loved Mother. I know her loss will be deeply felt throughout the country, the Realms and the Commonwealth, and by countless people around the world," her son King Charles stated.
While Queen Elizabeth II wasn't the most avid fan of tennis, she did pay a few visits to Wimbledon over the years and interacted with the players.
On that note, let’s take a look at five interesting interactions the late monarch had with tennis players.
#1. Suggesting Roger Federer hit more backhands down the line
Roger Federer is arguably the greatest competitor we have ever seen at Wimbledon. The Swiss has had his fair share of interactions with the royal family and had one such instance in 2010 when he was competing at SW 19.
Federer dined with Queen Elizabeth II on his day off during the tournament and said that she told him to hit more backhands down the line.
“She knew about my tough first round," the Swiss said. "She said I should hit more backhands down the line."
Federer eventually reached the quarterfinals of Wimbledon in 2010 before losing to eventual runner-up Tomas Berdych.
#2. Letter to Emma Raducanu following her US Open triumph
Emma Raducanu produced one of the most astonishing Grand Slam runs in tennis history last year as she won the US Open. The Brit had to qualify for the main draw and won the tournament by defeating Leylah Fernandez in the final, all this without dropping a single set.
Raducanu said that she received a letter from Queen Elizabeth II after winning her maiden Grand Slam title.
"I send my congratulations to you on your success," the letter read. "It is a remarkable achievement at such a young age, and is testament to your hard work and dedication. I have no doubt your outstanding performance, and that of your opponent Leylah Fernandez, will inspire the next generation of tennis players."
"I think I'm going to frame the letter!"
Emma Raducanu says she was thrilled to receive a letter from the Queen commending her on her US Open victory last night.
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#3. Rafael Nadal turning down an opportunity to meet Queen Elizabeth II
Rafael Nadal is one of the greatest tennis players of all time and is someone who is extremely dedicated to his craft. The Spaniard's devotion to tennis was such that he turned down an opportunity to meet Queen Elizabeth II in 2010.
The then-Queen of England paid a visit to Wimbledon for the first time since 1977 and Nadal was offered a chance to meet her. However, the King of Clay declined as he did not want to disrupt his preparations for his second-round match against Robin Haase.
Nadal overcame the Dutchman in five sets and went on to win Wimbledon that year by beating Tomas Berdych in the final. It remains his last triumph at the grasscourt Major.
#4. Serena Williams' curtsy in 2010
Queen Elizabeth II met a number of players when she paid a visit to Wimbledon in 2010. These included the likes of Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, Andy Roddick, Venus Williams, Caroline Wozniacki and Serena Williams.
The late monarch shook hands with everyone she met, and the latter did a curtsy while being greeted. Speaking about it, Serena said that she would work on it and tone down her wrist action.
"I was going to curtsy today on the court afterwards but I think I flubbed it. So I am definitely going to work on it a little bit more. I’m trying to tone down my wrist action." the American stated.
#5. Interaction with Dylan Alcott
This is the most recent event on this list as it happened only a few months back. Dylan Alcott is a legend in wheelchair tennis and announced his retirement from the sport after the Australian Open.
The 31-year-old was adjudged the Australian of the year for 2022 and had a chance to interact with Queen Elizabeth II.
Introducing himself, Alcott said that he won a few Wimbledon titles by beating players from Great Britain and claimed that it might be something she might not be too happy about. Queen Elizabeth II gave a hearty chuckle in response.
"I won 15 Grand Slam singles titles playing wheelchair tennis," Alcott said. "I, unfortunately, won a couple of Wimbledon titles, beat some Great Britain players, which I was happy about but maybe you weren't so happy about."
The late monarch hailed Alcott on hisn charity work, saying:
"That's wonderful to be helping other people."