The Duchess of Kent consoled an emotional Jana Novotna after losing the Wimbledon final (Image: Getty)
The Duchess of Kent was highly regarded for her kind-hearted nature, as epitomised in 1993 when she comforted a heartbroken Jana Novotna who had just lost the Wimbledon final. Born Katharine Lucy Mary Worsley, the Duchess passed away peacefully on Thursday, with Buckingham Palace announcing her death on Friday.
As the wife of the Duke of Kent, the Duchess was a familiar face in tennis circles, often consoling losing Wimbledon finalists. A regular at SW19 alongside her husband Prince Edward, who served as President of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club (AELTC) for five decades, the Duchess was a champion of the sport. One of her most poignant moments on Centre Court was the heartfelt support she offered to the late Czech star Novotna after her loss to Steffi Graf in the final 32 years ago.
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Novotna, who died in 2017 following a battle with cancer, was on the brink of a 5-1 lead in the third and final set. but a double fault triggered a loss of confidence. At the time, Graff had already claimed four Wimbledon titles, including the two previous ones, and it didn't take long for the German to seize upon Novotna's vulnerability.
She captured the third set 6-4 to secure her third consecutive title. The collapse prompted the then 24-year-old Novotna to burst into tears during the trophy ceremony, which saw the Duchess provide a literal shoulder to cry on before delivering words that would prove remarkably true.
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She assured Novotna: "I know you will win it one day, don't worry." Four years elapsed before she reached the Wimbledon final once more, only to suffer another heartbreaking defeat at the hands of Martina Hingis.
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It was in 1998 when Novotna was given The Venus Rosewater Dish by the Duchess of Kent (Image: Getty)
Yet a second setback at the All England Club merely spurred Novotna on further as she battled through to the final for a third occasion and finally savoured triumph after defeating Nathalie Tauziat in straight sets. In what proved to be her sole Grand Slam singles triumph, it shattered the perception at the time that she ranked among tennis' biggest bottlers, despite capturing 11 Grand Slam doubles crowns and three Olympic medals.
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Half a decade after requiring consolation from the Duchess on tennis' most prestigious stage, she was now collecting her long-awaited trophy from the same woman. Reflecting at the time, Novotna revealed: "The Duchess reminded me last year that if I came back for a third time, it would be third time lucky for me. She said that she was very happy that I had finally won this championship."
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