Princess Kate shares personal message ahead of solo royal outing

The Princess of Wales sent a heartfelt message to tennis star Jack Draper as he picked up the biggest title of his career.

The British player beat Denmark's Holger Rune 6-2, 6-2 to win the Indian Wells final.

"Congratulations, Jack. A fantastic performance. Well Done," the Princess wrote in a social media message, ahead of attending the St Patrick's Day parade at Wellington Barracks in London.

As of Monday, Jack has been ranked as No. 7 in singles by the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP).

He is the son of Roger Draper, former chief executive of Sport England and the Lawn Tennis Association, and Nicky Draper, a former junior British tennis champion.

"I'm incredibly happy, obviously, and incredibly proud of my achievements this week," Jack told BBC Sport.

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Kate is a renowned tennis fan and has been the patron of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club since 2016.

The Princess made an appearance at the Wimbledon Men's final 2024 amid her cancer treatment.

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She was joined by her daughter, Princess Charlotte, and her sister, Pippa Matthews to witness Carlos Alcaraz's victory over Novak Djokovic.

As Kate, who looked elegant in a purple Safiyaa London dress, took her seat in the Royal Box on Centre Court, she looked incredibly touched as she was given a standing ovation.

Rugby rivals

The Prince and Princess of Wales also made an appearance at Wales's Six Nations match against England on Saturday.

The couple cheered on opposing sides at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff to watch the teams compete in the competition's final round of matches.

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The Prince is patron of the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) while the Princess holds a similar position with the Rugby Football Union (RFU).

The match ended in a 68-14 victory for England.

Before the match, the couple met injured players who have been supported by the Welsh Rugby Charitable Trust inside the Sir Tasker Watkins Suite – a space dedicated for use by the players and their families ahead of games.

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William is patron of the trust, which was set up to help players who have been severely injured while playing rugby in Wales, and their loved ones, inviting them to every Wales home game and hosting an annual family day.

The royal couple spoke of how they watch Princes George and Louis play rugby at weekends in "freezing" weather.