Katie Boulter: British No 1 on her great season and life with partner Alex de Minaur | Tennis News

Katie Boulter sits down with Sky Sports’ Gigi Salmon to reflect on her “fantastic” 2024, where she aims to improve her game and life on and off the court with partner Alex de Minaur.

The British No. 1 won titles in San Diego and Nottingham and broke into the top 30 last month at a career-high No. 23.

The 28-year-old finished her season with a semi-final run at the WTA 500 in Tokyo, followed by a runner-up finish in Hong Kong, her third tour final of the season.

“The key point for me was knowing I could go a full season and the work I’ve put in has paid off,” Boulter said.

“I’ve been working so hard every day to put myself in that position and for it to actually come through and be injury-free. I think it’s a credit to my team. They’ve pushed me for a long time and it’s starting to show now.

“There’s been no injuries but you know anything can happen and I don’t really take it for granted, but at the same time it’s been a great season for me physically and I feel like I’m only getting stronger.”

Where to improve and goals for 2025?

“What frustrates me is that you’re never happy,” added Boulter, who has learned how to manage his body by investing in personal physio Rory Mee and former Andy Murray trainer Matt Little.

“I think tennis is one of those sports where you’re always looking for something different, no matter how well your season is going. I had one of the best seasons of my career on paper, but there’s a lot I want to improve on.

“I feel like there are little things that can push me up (in the rankings). I think in a way it’s really exciting for me because I think it’s another goal It’s another place I’ve never been before, and I want to get there, which keeps me very motivated.

“Even though it’s frustrating, I’ll never be satisfied, so it keeps me motivated.”

With that in mind, Boulter admits that his tennis-playing friend De Minaur has pushed him to be objective when looking at the rankings.

He said: “Midway through this year, I set a goal for myself where I want to be. I don’t think I’ll share it with people, but I have some goals in mind, but I also know I have a lot of work to do on the court and in the gym. it will even happen. It’s important to keep my head down and stay focused.”

What changed mentally and physically?

Working with Little improved Boulter’s movement on the pitch and physical stature, and he looked impressive during title runs in San Diego and Nottingham.

“I think the change of coach was big for me mentally and physically because it keeps it fresh. It’s something new. It’s something I haven’t done in a long time and Matt has been a huge asset to my team and obviously he has a lot of experience working with Andy for 17, 18 years.

“He’s been in tennis and brought another level to my game that I really feel like I’ve found with him. The belief that he has in me, the confidence that he has in me, that’s kind of a boost for me , and he also knows how to push my boundaries. Everyone has come together and he’s been a big part of that success.”

Glad to be away from work with De Minaur

Boulter and De Minaur have been together for more than four years and could face each other at the start of the 2025 season with Great Britain and Australia drawn in the same group at the United Cup. Live on Sky Sports Tennis.

“Everyone who has followed our journey has seen us grow together on and off the court. It feels so good to know that things are going well on the court and we can still enjoy time together off the court. : “said the Leicestershire star.

“I feel like we’ve really helped each other in a lot of different ways. First of all, he’s there for advice, so I have to take his advice once in a while. I don’t know , whether he takes it well from me, but he knows what he is doing so long, even though he has so much experience and has been through so much;

“He’s been on the journey that I’m on right now. I’ve probably been on it a little bit longer, so I have a little bit of a different perspective that I can help him with and he can help me with things. on the rating side.

“It’s pushed my limits even further and given me the belief that I can be where he is right now.”

Do they train together?

“There are moments. I think there are pre-season pairings. And maybe in Australia we have the odd one or two, but I’ll just say it’s very competitive,” Boulter smiled.

“I wouldn’t say we’re great at not being competitive. Whether it’s tennis or something small like playing cards, that’s one of my biggest passions , because I always beat him to those goals, so he has work to do.

Two crazy weeks…

De Minaur watched Boulter win in San Diego.

A day earlier, De Minaur beat Casper Rudy to win the ATP 500 title in Acapulco before flying to the US in the early hours of Sunday morning.

They then combined to win two crowns on the same day in the summer, with De Minaur winning his second grass-court title at s-Hertogenbosch and Boulter following suit in the Nottingham Cup just hours later.

“I still don’t know how it actually happened. It’s pretty crazy to happen once, it’s not something that happens regularly. But then to have it happen twice in the same week, that’s… Me.” I don’t know what the powers are are putting it together, but there’s something weird going on there,” Boulter said.

“Our lives revolve around tennis, so it’s going to be hard not to discuss tennis a lot, but I have a big desire to get away from tennis, and I think we did that right at the end of our season being back in Leicestershire with my family, just doing something completely different, it was the first time he got a real Christmas tree;

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