“Putting the serve in isn’t enough at this level": Katie Boulter outlines serve fix after Kostyuk loss

Katie Boulter’s campaign at the US Open ended in a straight-sets defeat to Marta Kostyuk, 6-4, 6-4, but the Brit left Flushing Meadows determined to treat the setback as another step forward in her development. While the scoreboard showed frustration, her tone afterward was one of cautious optimism, particularly about the progress she feels she is making off the ground—even as her serve continues to hold her back.

“I felt like off the ground I was much better than I have been in the last few weeks, which is promising,” Boulter said in her press conference. “It’s a good step forward in that sense. Obviously, there were a few cheap points here or there, but that’s part of tennis. For me, I need to address the serving. We’ve been trying so many different things, but nothing’s quite working yet. If I can sort that, everything else will fall into place.”

The 28-year-old’s serve has long been a focal point of both her strengths and struggles. Injuries to her shoulder and arm have forced adjustments to her service motion over time, leaving her searching for a rhythm that sticks week in and week out.

Against Kostyuk, the inconsistency cost her crucial points, and she admitted she often feels caught between fully committing to a serve and simply rolling the ball in. At the top level, she acknowledged, that isn’t enough: “Putting the serve in the court is not going to get it done.”

Despite the defeat, Boulter painted a picture of a player re-energised after a rocky North American summer. Montreal, she revealed, had been a “pivotal” low point, one that forced her to reset mentally and physically after the first round defeat against Renata Zarazua (1-6, 5-7). “I’ve got this buzz back again, which I kind of lost a couple of weeks ago in Montreal,” she explained. “It springboarded me off the bottom and taken me back up again. Mentally I’m in a really good place, and I feel my game is improving.”

Much of the discussion inevitably circled back to her serve. Boulter admitted that while practice sessions show no major issues, the problem arises in matches where she struggles to trust her delivery. Variation, she feels, is the missing link—too often she becomes predictable, allowing opponents like Kostyuk to step in and dictate from the return. “I just need to fully trust it and go after it, not really caring what the other person’s doing,” she said. “Sometimes I get wrapped up thinking about ball three when I haven’t finished ball one.”

That need for variety has her contemplating new approaches, including the possibility of bringing in an outside voice specifically to help with her serve. She referenced Coco Gauff’s decision to add a specialist to her team as an example worth considering. “My team has no egos, they just want me to get better as a tennis player,” she noted. “I think they’d be completely open to having someone come in and help.”

Consistency in tennis doesn’t stop at the baseline—it seeps into everyday life. Boulter acknowledged that poor runs inevitably affect her mood away from the court, though she credited her support system for helping keep things balanced. “Of course I’d be lying if I said I don’t go home in a bad mood after a loss,” she said. “But I’m very lucky with the people around me who keep me up, keep me going.”

Part of her improvement came from simply taking time off. After Wimbledon she pushed herself harder than ever, only to find her motivation unravel in Montreal. The reset, which included close to a week away from tennis and long conversations with her psychologist, proved crucial. “I probably worked too hard, wanted it too much, and spent more hours on court than I ever have,” she reflected. “Taking time away and focusing on my happiness and enjoyment was the most important thing.”

Despite the disappointment of another early Slam exit, Boulter is refusing to wallow. Instead, she is looking toward the future with optimism, particularly with the Billie Jean King Cup looming. Britain reached the semifinals last year and will be targeting a deeper run this time around. “If I didn’t believe it, I wouldn’t have grafted so hard to get us there,” she said firmly. “I think we’ve got a great team, we all play well under pressure, and I think we’ve got another shot at it.”

For now, though, the serve remains the biggest puzzle piece in Boulter’s quest to climb higher. Whether through refining her rhythm, adding variety, or seeking fresh expertise, she knows that unlocking that shot could change everything. Until then, her optimism rests on the foundation that while results may falter, her sense of progress and belief are firmly back in place.