Katie Boulter responds to possibility of competing with Serena Williams in doubles: "It would be really fun to watch and great for the sport"

The Brits are now out of Roland Garros. Katie Boulter was the last one to remain, but bows out at the second round stage. She had a very tough test against Anastasia Potapova and would succumb to defeat in a 5-7, 6-4, 6-2 defeat.

While it was a negative result, there were many positives coming from the performance despite the negative result. "I thought it was a good match," she told the press. "I felt like I really took it to her today. I’m much happier with the way I tried to play. I think that side of things was really good.

"I showed what my strengths were and put myself in a great position to win the match. Physically, I’ve got a lot to work on, but aside from that, I think I gave myself a shot, gave myself a chance, and left it all out there."

It has been a much improved 2026 by Boulter after a disastrous 2026 campaign. The Ostrava Open title was the highlight from a rejuvenated campaign as she has risen from outside the top 100 to just outside the top 70.

A lot of matches have been played, and she unveiled the other day that she was fatigued and physically not 100%. "I made the decision yesterday not to practise. I thought that was probably the smartest thing given the way I was feeling," she stated.

"I definitely went through energy ups and downs. I gave so much on return of serve in the first set that when I was serving, I was struggling to hold serve, and she was playing some great tennis as well. I somehow squeaked the first set over the line, but then I felt my energy really dipped and gave her more of a chance to get back into the match. Then I found it again at 5–1. So yeah, there were definitely highs and lows today. I think there were some energy dips and obviously I need to get rid of that because it’s very important not to have those."

While this impacted her showing, Boulter managed to put a ton of pressure on the Madrid Open semi-finalist. "One hundred percent. Today was exactly the kind of match I wanted it to be. The result didn’t go my way, but the type of tennis I was trying to play was miles better than in the first round. The way I was aggressive and struck the ball today was some of the best I’ve produced on a clay court.

"Every time I play matches like that, it makes me realise I can compete with some of the better players. She’s had one of the better clay-court seasons this year, so she’s obviously in really good form right now. The fact that I could bother her gives me confidence. And honestly, if I was going to lose today, I’m glad I lost it that way."

Her serve was still not the best it could be after commenting her frustration on it in Miami. She hit a total of 10 double faults and only directed 54% of her first serves in. This severely hampered her chances of winning.

"I hit a few double faults, especially in some big moments, but at the same time I’m also trying to improve my serve. I’m not holding back or just trying to push the ball into the court and run. A lot of my serve comes down to physicality, and when my body isn’t 100%, I do struggle on it. I struggle to really get up and over the ball, even when I’m trying hard with my body.

"I do think my serve is improving. Every surface requires you to serve differently, and serving on clay is probably one of the hardest for me. I’m pleased with the direction it’s going. Of course, sometimes it costs me, but there are also times when it wins me a lot of points. People are very quick to focus on the double faults and see free points, but they forget that when I commit to my second serve and get free points off missed returns, it kind of evens itself out.

She will continue to work on improving her game as grass takes full attention for Boulter from here. "It’s a work in progress. There are going to be good days and bad days, but I think I’m pretty level-headed about it. Grass is a totally different ball game. It’s more about using variations and spin rather than just pace and shape."

One of the tournaments she will compete at is Queen's, and has responded to the possibility of competing with a certain Serena Williams. The 23-time Grand Slam champion is edging closer to a possible comeback to tennis which would be a huge story. After having a lot of fun playing with her sister, Venus, Boulter would love to get the chance to play with Serena as well.

"I would absolutely look forward to that personally," she said. "She’s been a leader in our sport for such a long time. She’s obviously had a child, and seeing mums come back is so inspirational. I don’t think they get enough credit for what they do. Of course I’d love the opportunity to play doubles with her if that ever happened. I don’t actually know if it’s confirmed, but if it does happen, it would be fantastic. It would be really fun to watch and great for the sport."

Grass offers a chance for the Brits to get back on track after an underwhelming showing at Roland Garros. Boulter was the last one left due to her being one of the final players to compete in the second round, but her and Francesca Jones exited at the same stage with Emma Raducanu departing a round earlier. Sonay Kartal missed the tournament with a back injury, with Jack Draper and Cameron Norrie affected by injuries in different ways.

Boulter is looking to just focus on her own game and not get dragged into the current landscape in British tennis. "As I’ve always said, though, I’m probably going to stay in my own lane. I wish every Brit the best opportunities possible. Everyone gets inspired during the grass season, and I really hope they can continue that momentum through the grass and into the rest of the year as well. There are going to be a lot of British players doing great things on grass, I’m sure of it, but I hope they continue that and play full schedules to really push their rankings up."

With the grass swing being very short and a lot of tournaments in North America and Asia following, Boulter is playing the long game. "The grass season is very short — only a few weeks. I wish it was longer, but that’s the reality of it," she acknowledged. "For me, I’m going into the grass season knowing I’ve got four weeks to give everything I can, while also continuing to work physically and get my health back. Longevity is important because it’s a long season — there’s Asia later in the year, more tournaments in the US — so my number one priority is getting healthy again.

"I’m excited to see how all the Brits do. I’m excited for some of my friends to be back too. I was talking to Jodie Burrage and she’s coming back in a couple of days and she’s really eager. So yeah, I can’t wait to support those girls, but I’ve got to stay focused on my own path as well."