During the last moment of her quarter-final match in San Diego last week against Donna Vekic, Katie Boulter was in a frenzied state. She was pulled back and forth across the court, quickly reaching for every shot, in a desperate attempt to keep the point alive. After a total of 24 intense shots between them, Boulter managed to track down a drop shot and with a powerful forehand winner, secured her victory.
Rewritten: Twelve months ago, it would have been challenging to envision Boulter earning points against strong competitors. Although her serve and precise, powerful groundstrokes have always been impressive, her defensive vulnerabilities were often exposed when facing top players.
Her way of defeating Vekic was a clear indication of her continuous improvement, which has led to her biggest achievement yet at the age of 27. Boulter’s remarkable performance in San Diego culminated in her winning her first ever WTA 500 title by beating Marta Kostyuk 5-7, 6-2, 6-2 on Sunday. With her current ranking at No 27 in the WTA standings, she has surpassed her previous career high of No 49. As she prepares for the major event of Indian Wells, Boulter is now seeded and undoubtedly among the top players in the world.
Boulter’s journey is a clear demonstration of her determination and calmness. She first entered the Top 100 and started playing on the WTA Tour around five years ago, but unfortunately, she experienced a stress fracture in her back soon after. As a result, she had to take a seven month break from the tour and her ranking dropped, falling outside of the Top 100 and even reaching as low as No. 441 in February 2020.
After experiencing more injuries, despite her efforts to climb back up the rankings, she found herself consistently ranked in the range of 120-200 and unable to progress further. While she performed well in Billie Jean Cup matches and WTA events in Britain, winning consecutive matches on the ITF circuit proved to be a challenge. However, her unexpected win at the Nottingham WTA event last year, which was aided by a favorable draw, showcased her determination and marked a significant turning point in her career.
Since then, Boulter has been quietly impressive. There had been no spectacular result until this week, but she has been tidy, consistently beating lower-ranked opponents and testing her strength against the best. Finally able to compete exclusively on the WTA Tour for an extended period, performing at the highest level every week has provided countless lessons. After so many injury issues throughout her career, she has also learned how to manage her body, investing in a personal physio, Rory Mee, and adjusting to the rigours of the gruelling tour.
Boulter’s remarkable progress last year saw her climb 100 spots in the rankings, breaking into the top 50. Despite this achievement, her mindset remained focused and determined. She did not become complacent and instead, she felt that she had not yet reached her full potential. Her drive to reach her goals was evident in her statement after her final match of the season. She expressed that her accomplishments only fueled her determination for the upcoming year. She now firmly believes that she is capable of competing at this level and has the confidence to continue climbing higher in the rankings.
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Boulter displayed her readiness to turn her acquired skills into victories at the United Cup, her first tournament of the year. She achieved this by defeating the fifth-ranked Jessica Pegula. While she had never before beaten more than one top-50 player in a single tournament, in San Diego she managed to defeat five consecutively, including the No 13-ranked Beatriz Haddad Maia. This was Boulter’s fourth career win against a top-20 player.
Boulter, the top player from Britain, has not only improved her physical abilities and agility, but has also collaborated with her coach, Biljana Veselinovic, to strategically use angles in her groundstrokes to dominate the court, rather than relying on a linear style of play. After facing numerous challenges to reach the peak of her sport, Boulter is now playing with a liberated mindset, making her a formidable opponent.
After receiving her biggest award ever on Sunday evening, Boulter acknowledged the support of her boyfriend, Alex de Minaur, who was cheering her on from the audience. The day before, De Minaur triumphed over Casper Ruud with a score of 6-4, 6-4 to become the champion of the ATP 500 tournament in Acapulco and then made his way to San Diego in the early hours of Sunday. Both athletes have been playing the best tennis of their careers this year and it’s clear they are pushing each other to greater heights. It will be truly captivating to see how far they can excel.
