“My family are my biggest inspiration”: Katie Boulter on finding confidence in her breakout season and family’s impact

Britain's No. 1 Katie Boulter reflects on the best season of her career as she looks forward to her return to the Billie Jean King Cup. The 28-year-old credits her family’s support as her main inspiration.

Until June 2023, Boulter had never broken into the Top 100, but her rapid ascent began with her first title at the WTA 250 Nottingham Open. From there, her progress continued; just a few months later, she broke into the Top 50. This year, she won a WTA 500 title and a WTA 250, finishing the season as World No. 24 (with a season high of No. 23, one week before the season ended).

“The more I play on bigger stages, the more I come out of my shell,” Boulter commented. “I can be quite shy sometimes, but tennis gives me that outlet to really express how I feel and to show how tough I can be in big moments."

“And that gives me a lot of confidence and really pushes me to be the best version of myself,” added Britain’s No. 1. “My family are my biggest inspiration in life and in tennis. They have given everything to me throughout their lives.”

Born in Leicester, Boulter comes from a tennis family. Her mother, Sue Boulter, is a former tennis coach who played at county level and represented Great Britain in junior categories. Her maternal grandparents, Brian and Jill Gartshore, also met through tennis.

“When they’re proud of me, I know that I’m motivated and doing the best that I possibly can,” said Boulter, who now holds four WTA tour-level titles. “My grandma was county captain for 20 years and my grandpa played tennis his whole life. That’s actually how they met, so I’ve kind of grown up with tennis and them being a huge part of it.”

“I was always very close to my grandparents growing up and was lucky to have them around all the time,” Boulter reflected. “They were picking me up from tennis, taking me to school, along with my mum, and I would literally see them in the corner of the playground waving because they knew that was the time of my break. They were a huge part of my life.”

Meanwhile, Boulter recently attended a Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) tennis session at Sutton Tennis & Squash Club in South London. At the occasion he hit balls with Age UK service users. “I always used to go to the Leicestershire Lawn Tennis Club and spend a lot of time watching them,” she added. “They’d play fours and all have a nice cup of tea afterward, and that was a huge part of their life. It kept them competitive, active, and healthy.”

“It’s a good opportunity just to come and play tennis, do something fun, and put a smile on someone’s face,” Boulter said. “It’s a nice bonding tool to be able to play with someone or play doubles as it brings you closer to people. And, you know, it might give you a bit more confidence to leave the house, go and see your friends more, and have a healthier lifestyle.”