The “awkward Pippa Middleton Wimbledon moment” took a few seconds. Afterwards the Princess of Wales stood with her sister Pippa and her daughter, Princess Charlotte, while the men’s champion, Carlos Alcaraz, went along the greeting line. Kate spoke to him and introduced Charlotte. Pippa stepped forward to congratulate him at the moment he turned to the next guests. The clip spread online and “awkward” became the headline.
Most coverage gets the year confused. Below we set out which final it was, what was actually seen, what has been claimed, and what nobody has confirmed.
What happened in the awkward Pippa Middleton Wimbledon moment
The moment came after the 2024 Wimbledon gentlemen’s singles final on Sunday 14 July 2024. Carlos Alcaraz beat Novak Djokovic 6-2, 6-2, 7-6 to retain his title. As patron of the All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC), Kate presented the trophy. Charlotte and Pippa were with her in the Royal Box.
After the ceremony the royal party met the players. In the widely shared footage, Kate congratulates Alcaraz and introduces Charlotte. Pippa then moves forward, apparently to congratulate him too, but he has already turned away. She steps back and the group moves on.
Nobody was snubbed on the record. Words like “ignored” and “overlooked” are the media’s interpretation of a short clip. The footage shows a champion being moved through a crowded post-match line, not a deliberate brush-off.
Why the year is often wrong
Hello Magazine’s piece, which ranks first for this search, was published on 3 July 2025, around the start of the 2025 Championships. Its body text calls the incident “last year”, meaning 2024, but the headline reads as if it were current. Rewrites by other sites then dated it to 2025.
There’s a simple check. Alcaraz lost the 2025 men’s final to Jannik Sinner, so he wasn’t the champion being congratulated that year. Alcaraz won Wimbledon in 2023 and 2024, and the 2024 final is the one where Kate, Charlotte and Pippa were photographed together in the Royal Box. The awkward moment belongs to July 2024.
Key facts and verified statements
| Question | Status | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Which event? | Confirmed | 2024 Wimbledon men’s singles final, 14 July 2024 |
| Who was present? | Confirmed | The Princess of Wales, Princess Charlotte, Pippa Middleton (Matthews), Carlos Alcaraz |
| Did Kate present the trophy? | Confirmed | Yes, in her role as AELTC patron |
| Did Alcaraz deliberately ignore Pippa? | Not confirmed | Interpretation only, with no evidence of intent |
| Did Pippa meet Alcaraz later? | Unknown | No reporting either way |
| Comment from Pippa, Alcaraz, Kensington Palace or the AELTC? | None found | No public statement has been made |
What is not confirmed
- Intent. Nobody knows whether Pippa meant to shake hands or was simply moving with the group. Our reading of the footage is that she meant to congratulate him, but that is still a reading.
- Any reaction. Pippa does not do interviews about royal events. Alcaraz has not been asked about it in any press conference we have found.
- The “ignored twice” claim. Some outlets, including Jang, say Kate and Pippa were both ignored. We have found no footage or source that supports that for the 2024 final. It looks like separate clips have been mixed together.
Why Kate greets the champions
Kate became patron of the AELTC in December 2016, taking over from Queen Elizabeth II. The role usually means presenting the singles trophies on finals weekend and meeting the players, ball crew and staff afterwards. The patron is the focus of that greeting line. Guests in the Royal Box, family included, are not.
Timeline of the 2024 Wimbledon final moment
All times are UK time (BST). Where a time is approximate, we say so.
- 14 July 2024, early afternoon: Kate arrives at the All England Club with Charlotte and Pippa. This was one of Kate’s very few public appearances during her cancer treatment, and Centre Court gave her a standing ovation.
- 14 July 2024, 14:00 BST (scheduled start): Alcaraz and Djokovic begin the final.
- Late afternoon (approximate): Alcaraz wins in straight sets.
- Shortly after: Kate presents the trophies to Alcaraz and to Djokovic as runner-up.
- Post-ceremony (approximate): The royal party meets the players. Kate talks to Alcaraz and introduces Charlotte. Pippa steps forward as Alcaraz turns towards the next guests and the media.
- July 2024 onwards: The clip spreads on social media.
- 3 July 2025, 10:39 BST: Hello Magazine publishes its “awkward moment” piece. Rewrites follow and the incident is widely misdated to 2025.
Why Princess Kate’s sister Pippa being “overlooked” by the Wimbledon champion matters
The moment itself doesn’t matter much, but the coverage of it shows how royal stories get made.
Small clips travel further than big events
A post-match greeting line moves fast. Players are guided along by officials, broadcasters are waiting, and every guest wants a few seconds with the champion. Missed handshakes happen at most finals. When one involves a famous family, a three-second clip can get more views than the match. “Ignored” makes a better headline than “moved on to the next person”.
The angle we take matters too. When one viral clip is the only evidence, we report what it shows and leave the motive out. That is why our headline says “moment” and not “snub”.
Kate’s 2024 appearance gave it extra attention
Kate had announced her cancer diagnosis in March 2024. Before Wimbledon, Trooping the Colour in June was her only significant public outing. Her trip to SW19 with Charlotte was one of the most-watched royal appearances of the year, so cameras recorded every second of the day, including the greeting line.
Pippa’s Wimbledon history
Pippa Middleton keeps a low public profile these days. Wimbledon is one of the few places she is reliably photographed. She is a keen tennis fan and has attended for years, and older stories about her outfits and her seating have kept her name in Wimbledon coverage. Each new clip gets added to that history, which is why a short moment in 2024 is still drawing searches more than two years later.
If you follow how Wimbledon royal stories turn into search trends, see our guide to the best Prince Louis Wimbledon gift. It covers another royal moment at SW19 that kept circulating long after the tournament ended.
What happens next
- No follow-up has been reported. We have found no statement or later meeting, and no comment from Pippa, Alcaraz, Kensington Palace or the AELTC.
- The next Championships. Wimbledon 2027 is expected to run from late June into mid-July, with the AELTC confirming the exact dates. Royal Box guests are not published in advance, so no Middleton attendance is confirmed until the family is seen there.
- Kate’s role continues. As patron, the Princess of Wales normally attends at least one final weekend. Any appearance will bring fresh clips, and older moments like this one tend to get shared again.
- Our update commitment. If anyone involved comments, or footage shows a later meeting between Pippa and Alcaraz, we will update this article and change the “last updated” stamp at the top.
How we checked this story
We worked out the year from Wimbledon’s official results. Alcaraz was champion in 2023 and 2024, and runner-up in 2025. We matched that against the 2024 coverage of Kate, Charlotte and Pippa in the Royal Box. We read the ranking reports, including Hello Magazine’s account, and kept their descriptions separate from their framing. We use the same method in our other “what has been confirmed” explainers, such as Matt Lucas’s health and body-image claims and Josie Gibson’s weight-loss and health claims.
In short, the moment was real, short and harmless. Pippa was a second too late to say congratulations. The story behind it comes from headlines, not from anything anyone involved has said.
FAQs
What was Pippa Middleton’s awkward moment at Wimbledon?
After the 2024 men’s final, Kate spoke to the champion, Carlos Alcaraz, and introduced Princess Charlotte. Pippa then stepped forward to congratulate him just as he turned to the next guests. The media called it ‘awkward’, but the footage shows nothing deliberate.
When did the Pippa Middleton Wimbledon moment happen?
It happened on Sunday 14 July 2024, after Alcaraz beat Novak Djokovic in the men’s final. Much of the coverage dates it to 2025 because Hello Magazine’s story was published on 3 July 2025, but Alcaraz lost the 2025 final, so he was not the champion being greeted that year.
Did Carlos Alcaraz ignore Pippa Middleton?
Nothing shows he did so on purpose. The footage shows a champion being moved quickly through a busy greeting line. ‘Ignored’ and ‘overlooked’ are media labels, not facts anyone has confirmed.
What has been officially confirmed?
The event, the date, who was there, and that Kate presented the trophy as AELTC patron are all confirmed. Pippa, Alcaraz, Kensington Palace and the AELTC have not made any public comment on the moment.
Was Princess Charlotte at Wimbledon with Kate and Pippa?
Yes. Charlotte went to the 2024 men’s final with her mother and her aunt Pippa, and Kate introduced her to Alcaraz after the trophy presentation.
What happens next?
No follow-up has been reported. Royal Box guests are not announced in advance, so any Middleton appearance at Wimbledon 2027 will only be confirmed on the day. We will update this article if anyone involved comments.
