“I knew I was in it for the long haul,” was the headspace Katie Boulter was in when she first crossed paths with her fiance, Alex de Minaur. The lovebirds aren’t the first tennis power couple to make waves in the community, but they might be the first who made the possibility of a relationship come to life after the WTA star initially said “no” to de Minaur’s coffee date idea. A story full of crazy and exciting twists and turns, the pair has now officially confirmed their engagement, begging the question – what makes their romance so special?

According to the Aussie sensation, he grew fond of his girlfriend’s companionship after he “realized this was becoming something special when I found myself wanting to talk to her all the time. It gave me a sense of peace.” Boulter knew of the 25-year-old through mutual friends who sang praises of him but couldn’t verify that until she accidentally bumped into him during their stay at the same hotel and decided to say hello.

“One day, when we were staying in the same hotel, we bumped into each other at six in the morning and ended up getting a coffee,” she told The Sydney Morning Herald in June 2024.

It wasn’t long before they started dating during the pandemic and, to compensate for the months they spent apart, they spent countless hours talking to each on FaceTime. “I think I realised this was becoming something special when I found myself wanting to talk to her all the time. Her companionship was something I’d been looking for: it gave me a sense of peace,” de Minaur explained.

They made their relationship Instagram official in March 2021, when the Briton posed a celebratory snap for their first anniversary with a caption reading, “Not sure how you’ve put up with me this long. Happy one year.” Their off-court activities were already teeming with exuberance when they decided to bring that vibe for a joint on-court showcase.

The pair joined forces for a doubles blockbuster at Wimbledon in 2022 and that wasn’t the end of it.

Following his partner’s commendable victory over Karolina Pliskova, the former World No. 6 promptly told BBC: “Can we just talk about Katie Boulter today? I mean, she had a pretty good win herself.” And that’s how the couple displayed their immense affection and support for each other. Months turned into years and as they furnished fans with their numerous escapades, it was only a matter of time before they decided to take things to the next level.

Their surprise engagement announcement during the festive season elicited their colleagues and rivals to shower blessings for the next phase in their lives.

Alex de Minaur and Katie Boulter send smiles across the tennis community following engagement news

Australian superstar Alex de Minaur and his longtime girlfriend Katie Boulter were all smiles when they confirmed their impending engagement announcement via Instagram earlier on Monday, December 23. As fans further shared the hot update all over social media, fellow players showered congratulatory messages on their joint IG post.

Boulter and de Minaur posted a lovely snap announcing their engagement and players like Emma Raducanu, Paula Badosa, and Thanasi Kokkinakis, among others, commented adorable messages for the duo. However, the lovebirds’ celebration will have to wait a little longer. They are due for a crucial on-court commitment against each other.

The star players are slated to appear at the season-commencing United Cup in Sydney, with their respective teams, Australia and Great Britain drawn against each other for the second consecutive year. For fans, it’ll be an exciting showcase as they get to cheer against each other on December 31.