Katie
Boulter humorously thanks her boyfriend,
Alex De Minaur, following her San
Diego Open title win. The British tennis player is experiencing the peak of her
career with her second title, albeit her first WTA 500, after defeating Marta
Kostyuk 5-7, 6-2, 6-2.
At 27 years
old, Boulter achieved her highest-ever ranking as the new world No. 27, despite
being outside the top 150 just a year ago.
An
interesting tidbit following her title win was that her boyfriend also secured
an ATP 500 less than 24 hours before and decided not to celebrate that day to
travel and support Boulter in the final: "You know what I cannot [stick
around for the big party] because I’ve got a 6am flight to go to watch Katie
play in the final. I’m looking forward to that," he said.
The
Australian, currently world No. 10, was closely accompanying Boulter along with
his team, and he was even seen gesturing to his girlfriend to stay calm and
focused, especially when she was a set down against Kostyuk.
The British
champion surprised everyone in the tournament as she wasn't even seeded and had
only one title previously. During the award ceremony, Boulter took the
opportunity to "embarrassed" De Minaur after his quick trip from
Acapulco to San Diego.
“I want to
say a small special thank you to my boyfriend,” she started off. “He finished
last night at midnight and – I really want to embarrass him – so he got on a
4:15 taxi this morning and a 6am flight to be here today so I do appreciate
that.”
Boulter's surprise
title victory
The Briton
is enjoying a stellar 2024, securing her place among the top 20 in the WTA
Race. At the beginning of the year, she claimed the most significant triumph of
her career against
Jessica Pegula in the
United Cup. This week, she once again
defeated a top-15 player, overcoming
Beatriz Haddad Maia and delivering a
spectacular final against Kostyuk.
In all
three matches, Boulter staged comebacks from a set down, showcasing an
impressive ability to fight until the last point. As the new world No. 27, she
now can be seeded in major tournaments and some WTA 1000 events, elevating her
status on the Tour.