The Duchess of Cambridge impresses the tennis champion with her skills on the court when the British royal helps celebrate young athletes at the National Tennis Centre.

• Sep 26, 2021

AceShowbiz - U.S. Open tennis champion Emma Raducanu teamed up with an "incredible" royal partner as she enjoyed a doubles game with Kate, Duchess of Cambridge on Friday (24Sep21).

The royal tennis fan came face to face with the 2021 U.S. Open women's singles winner at the National Tennis Centre in southwest London, England before they teamed up for a quick doubles game.

Raducanu who took the tennis world by storm after she became the first woman to enter via the qualifying rounds and progress all the way to the finals of the U.S. Open in New York earlier this month (Sep21) - was among a group of young tennis stars including Joe Salisbury, Alfie Hewitt, and Gordon Reid who were celebrated by Kate.

And after a chat, the duchess showed off her skills on the court, impressing the young star.

"Her forehand is incredible," Emma, 18, told reporters. "So I was very, very impressed, and it was a lot of fun to play tennis with the duchess."

Kate, who is patron of the Lawn Tennis Association, also met teenagers from around the U.K. playing tennis at a grassroots level as part of the LTA Youth program, which aims to encourage participation in the sport and inspire the next generation of players.

Kate Middleton is also a fan of soccer. During a children's charity appearance in 2015, she told a young boy that she's a Chelsea fan. "We high fived because she supports Chelsea and I support Chelsea," the boy said. "I love people who support Chelsea."

Meanwhile, Kate's husband Prince William is a fan of Aston Villa.