"That was the best experience": Venus Williams enjoyed playing with Katie Boulter even more than sister Serena at Madrid Open

Sunday, 26 April 2026 at 16:15

Venus Williams and Katie Boulter made a winning start to their first-time partnership at the Madrid Open, coming through a hard-fought doubles clash against Jiang Xinyu and Xu Yifan 4–6, 6–3, 10–7.

Playing together for the first time at the Caja Mágica, the pair fed off a lively atmosphere on Court No. 6, with Williams describing the occasion as “so exciting” after sealing victory.

“Well, I mean, it was so exciting. We’ve never played before, and you asked me to play, right?” Williams said, turning to Boulter with a smile on Sky Sports with Gigi Salmon after their win. “I was wondering, was it you or your coach? I was hoping it was you. So it was really nice to say yes, and it was meant to be.

“It was so much fun. It was tough to play, they played so well. And for me, the atmosphere, hey, we’re out here on Court No. 6, the crowd were on their feet, they were making a noise, and they just make a difference. Yeah, it was so fun.”

For Boulter, the opportunity to partner one of the sport’s all-time greats lived up to expectations, even if it came with a few nerves early on.

“I mean, obviously everyone came out here for an absolute icon, so of course they’re going to make some noise,” she said. “But yeah, it was a privilege to be on court, and obviously playing with you as well, it was so much fun.

Nerves for Boulter but high praise for Venus

“I think I had nerves coming in this morning, to be honest with you. But during the warm-up, you calmed me down. I was like, ‘I’m fine, I’m good, I’m good.’ But of course, yeah, I felt a little bit of pressure. But it’s a lot of fun just to go out there, swing, and enjoy it as well. And I’m so happy we got the win.”

Despite their lack of experience together, the pair quickly found a rhythm, balancing tactics with a relaxed mindset between points.

“Both, we talked about everything,” Williams explained when asked about their on-court communication. “But I think part of it is you have to strategize, but you also have to relax too. Everybody plays their best when they’re relaxed, so it’s like a balance between both. We did what we had to do, so we will keep that up in the next round.”

Boulter agreed, adding: “I think it was a really good balance between both.”

Katie Boulter lost to Jessica Pegula but had a lifeline in doubles with Venus Williams.

That balance, combined with positive energy, proved key to their comeback win.

“I think we just enjoyed it,” Boulter said. “Both of us had the mindset of just going out, having a smile on our face, and I think from the first ball to the last, we did that. No matter what happened, we kept fighting, and yeah, we came away with a win, so very happy.”

Williams was equally enthusiastic about the partnership, even comparing the atmosphere and connection to some of the biggest matches of her career.

“Katie has great energy. I don’t think anyone, even in a Serena match, this is a big one,” she said. “I feel like our energies just really matched, and we just kept each other up. That was the best experience.”

The seven-time Grand Slam singles champion also reflected on the importance of enjoying moments like these, given the demands of professional tennis.

“Yeah, for sure. It’s a lot of work to be out here. You sacrifice a lot, you give up most of your life to be basically in this cult called tennis. So it’s very rewarding when it works.”

Williams and Boulter now progress to the last 16, where they will face Hsieh Su-wei and Sofia Kenin as they look to continue their impressive start in Madrid.

"Katie has such great energy."

Venus Williams 🤝 Katie Boulter pic.twitter.com/OAstXeJezD
— Sky Sports Tennis (@SkySportsTennis) April 25, 2026

Samuel GillEditor-in-Chief

Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of TennisUpToDate.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces across the TennisUpToDate network, playing a central role in the daily operation and development of the site.

Based in Leicester, Samuel has a broad background in tennis media. In his current role, he works closely with editors and writers to ensure coverage meets clear journalistic standards, with particular attention to verification, consistency, and timely updates when new information becomes available.

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