Katie Boulter, the top-ranked British player, has secured her first WTA 500 tournament title by defeating Marta Kostyuk from Ukraine in the final match of the San Diego Open with a score of 5-7, 6-2, 6-2.
After a balanced beginning between the two players, the Ukrainian with the sixth seed started to outplay Boulter. They won several games in a row and quickly approached winning the first set.
Boulter made a comeback to tie the set at 5-5, but Kostyuk regained control and won the first set 7-5. In the second set, Boulter played better and won 6-2 thanks to her strong first serves, bringing the match to a final third set.
The British player maintained her dominance in the third set, securing the initial break point and taking a 3-1 lead. She broke her opponent once more in the seventh game and easily sealed the win in two hours and 13 minutes.
The 27-year-old from Leicester was observed by her significant other, Alex De Minaur, who booked an early flight in the morning after successfully defending his title in Acapulco. Boulter expressed gratitude towards her Australian boyfriend in her comments after the match.
“I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to my boyfriend,” she stated. “Despite finishing work at midnight last night, he willingly took a 4.15am taxi and caught a six o’clock flight to arrive here today. I am immensely grateful for his efforts.”
In 2023, both women achieved their first WTA Tour victories in their breakthrough seasons of the previous year.
Last summer, Boulter emerged as the winner of the grass championship in Nottingham, while Kostyuk achieved victory in Austin.
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Boulter has had a very successful beginning to the 2024 season and her win against Kostyuk ensures that she will enter the top 30 ranking for the first time.
