Princess of Wales Praises Wimbledon Finalist Continuing to Compete Through Breast Cancer Treatment
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Princess of Wales met Canadian tennis player Gabriela Dabrowski at Wimbledon, calling her "inspirational" for competing while undergoing breast cancer (search) treatment.
Dabrowski, 34, was diagnosed with breast cancer (search) in 2024 and has continued playing throughout her treatment, with "a few more years" of hormone therapy remaining.
Kate, who herself revealed cancer treatment in 2024, told Dabrowski that sport can "prove that your body is still strong."
The Princess of Wales met with Canadian tennis player Gabriela Dabrowski at Wimbledon on Saturday, praising the ladies' doubles finalist as "inspirational" for continuing to compete at the highest level of professional tennis while undergoing treatment for breast cancer (search).
Dabrowski, 34, was diagnosed with breast cancer (search) in 2024 and has maintained her professional playing schedule throughout her treatment regimen. The meeting took place before Kate took her seat in the royal box to watch the ladies' singles final on Centre Court.
The tennis player said Kate was already aware of her diagnosis when they spoke. "I guess someone told her, so she acknowledged that and just said it was amazing that I was still playing going through treatment, and she said it was very inspirational, which I feel the same likewise with her story as well," Dabrowski said. "Just a very beautiful moment. I didn't expect to be emotional, but yeah, very strange feeling."
Dabrowski, who has a "few more years" of hormone therapy left to undergo, said Kate shared her belief in the restorative power of athletic activity during illness. "That's what she loves about sport, is that you can still prove that your body is strong, and so I think that was really cool to hear from her," Dabrowski recounted.
The exchange carries particular resonance given Kate's own cancer journey. The Princess of Wales revealed she was being treated for cancer in 2024, and at the end of June she undertook the Three Peaks Challenge — climbing the highest mountains in Scotland, England, and Wales within 24 hours — in aid of the Royal Marsden Cancer Charity.
Dabrowski was set to compete in the ladies' doubles final on Centre Court on Sunday.
The meeting underscores a broader narrative emerging in oncology care: that maintaining physical activity and professional pursuits during cancer treatment can serve as a powerful affirmation of strength and resilience for patients navigating prolonged treatment courses, including extended hormone therapy regimens.