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Alex de Minaur envies Katie Boulter's mental strength—Is mental toughness the key to tennis success?

Tennis has its fair share of love stories, and Alex De Minaur and Katie Boulter are among the most talked-about power couples in the sport. Their relationship is a blend of mutual admiration and support, with De Minaur often praising Boulter’s prowess on the court. But it doesn’t stop there—De Minaur isn’t just a fan of his girlfriend; he’s eager to incorporate her skills into his own game. It’s a dynamic that adds another layer of connection between them, making their bond even more special both on and off the court.

The Australian tennis player is on an impressive run this season. He advanced to the quarterfinals of the French Open and Wimbledon and clinched the title at the Rosmalen Grass Court Championships. His performance cannot be overlooked at the ongoing US Open as well, as he has advanced to the third round already. But despite this success, the World No. 10 does not fail to express his humility and desire to learn more from his Girlfriend Katie Boulter. 

In an interview with Town and Country magazine in March this year, De Minaur reflected on the competitive side of his relationship with Boulter. “We have practiced a fair bit [together] in the past and it always gets competitive. It’s part of the fun. The great thing that we’ve got is that we are very comfortable giving each other a lot of crap.” Boulter and De Minaur have often been seen hitting courts together. De Minaur was also seen helping Boulter during her training sessions ahead of the Indian Wells in 2023. But more than practicing together, the Aussie wishes to follow in Boulter’s footsteps. 

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I’ve learned a lot from her. Every time I watch her, I wish I could hit the ball as big as she does and hit as many winners as she does,” De Minaur said. The WTA star is known for her powerful forehand and impeccable serves. Most of her success has been through playing rocket shots with her forehand and De Minaur wants to emulate that. Continuing further, he also reflected on her mental tenacity. “I have learned a lot from her [also] on the mentality side of things and how she goes about her business and it’s been great.” However, this was not the first time that De Minaur reflected such sentiments.

 

In an interview in July last year, De Minaur said that it was time for him to swap roles with Boulter. “The way she’s been handling the spotlight, the pressures, it’s been pretty astounding to me. Now it’s probably my turn to start learning from her.” Boulter too, resonated with similar emotions and claimed that she tries to draw from the Aussie’s skills whenever he does something unique.

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Alex de Minaur envies Katie Boulter's mental strength—Is mental toughness the key to tennis success?

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He’s a top tennis player and he knows how to handle himself,” she said. But while the regards remain intact, the couple have also engaged in playful banters. 

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When Katie Boulter warned Alex de Minaur in a cheeky response

What’s a relationship without playful banter and humorous exchanges? De Minaur and Boulter have also exchanged such situations on the courts with the Brit star taking a dig at her boyfriend for not making it to her match at the Nottingham Open, where she clinched the title. 

Shortly after she lifted her title, Boulter said, “My boyfriend didn’t make the trip even though I thought he might after his win in ‘s-Hertogenbosch. We will have to be talking about that tonight and see if we’re gonna still be together. I hope he’s listening to this because we’ve got some talking to do,” during her on-court interview.

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De Minaur, however, defended himself and said that he tried to catch the flight but couldn’t. “She’s given me a little bit of slack. I think she kind of understands that you know maybe I was a little bit on a time constraint, I did my very best,” the Aussie said.

While De Minaur advances further at the US Open, it would be interesting to see if he can benefit from the presence of his lady luck at the venue. What do you think?