Wimbledon star broke forbidden royal rule after meeting Kate Middleton after tennis match

As Wimbledon enters its second week, we’re reminiscing on some of the most talked-about moments at the tennis tournament throughout the years.

From rule breaks to celebrity appearances, the annual competition makes headlines every year for a variety of reasons that are not always about the sport itself. Most recently, the very strict Royal Box rules which have caught out the likes of Meghan Markle, Lewis Hamilton, and Pippa Middleton, have been a talking point.

And it turns out that it’s not only celebrities and royals who have broken the regulations, with a tennis star also slipping up on a different rule back in 2023.

Legend of the sport, Roger Federer, who retired in 2022, made the faux pas last year while watching from Wimbledon's Royal Box as a spectator. He was joined by Kate Middleton, who he’s known for having a close friendship with, while watching Elena Rybakina take on American Shelby Rogers.

Kate Middleton and Roger Federer are known to have a close friendship (Karwai Tang / Getty Images)

But, as they watched the nail-biting tennis match, Federer appeared to go in to give the Princess of Wales a kiss on the cheek - something that’s not considered protocol when greeting a member of the royal family.

He seemingly placed his hand on Kate’s back and leaned forwards as if to plant a kiss on her cheek.

According to Sky News, Royal protocol outlines that members of the royal family should never be touched unless they offer their own hand in greeting.

However, Federer is of course a personal friend of the Prince and Princess of Wales, and as we can see, she didn’t at all seem bothered by the rule stray.

According to Town&Country, Federer said at the time: “It was so fun sitting next to Princess Catherine. I know her quite well.

“She is an avid tennis fan, and she plays herself. Sometimes we have to be careful we don’t speak too much. You can talk, and then it's super-quiet, and then you have to applaud.”

The tennis champ with eight-time Wimbledon titles to his name even taught Kate and Prince William's eldest, Prince George, how to play the sport in his own private lessons.

The tennis legend has even given Prince George private lessons (Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)

Federer told the publication at the time: “His mum has always enjoyed tennis. I hope he’ll stay the same in a few years’ time and this is not just an in-the-moment situation.”

The rule break came after Kate herself broke royal protocol with Federer at Wimbledon back in 2017.

After winning his record eighth men's Wimbledon title against Croatian Marin Cilic, the sportsman was joined by the Prince and Princess of Wales. As the duo congratulated the champion on his win, Kate went in to give him not one, not even two, but three kisses on the cheek.

The sweet gesture was actually because three kisses is considered a traditional greeting in Federer's native country Switzerland. And Federer has been seen again in the Royal Box at Wimbledon this year on Monday (7 July) alongside his wife Mirka, as they mingled with Birgitte, Duchess of Gloucester.

The couple were also just two rows ahead of Kate’s parents, Carole, and Michael Middleton.