Alex de Minaur’s girlfriend and British WTA star Katie Boulter is a worthy friend. Despite her fierce rivalry with other British players like Emma Raducanu or Harriet Dart, Boulter shares an amazing bond with the rest, as they liven things up when off-court. Ahead of Wimbledon, Boulter spoke about supporting “the rest of the British girls,” with a self-imposed constraint.
Speaking to The Times, Katie Boulter revealed her bond with some of her compatriots and on-court rivals. Ahead of Wimbledon, Boulter spoke about her plans with her on-court rivals, who are friends when they are not competing against each other with de Minaur in the mix. “If Alex [de Minaur] isn’t playing I support the rest of the British girls. Emma Raducanu, Harriet Dart, Jodie Burrage and I are all very close and travel together a lot. Sometimes they come over to my place and we cook and switch off from tennis to enjoy each other’s company.”
Raducanu remains a constant name on Boulter’s friend list. In April, Tatler magazine interviewed Boulter, where she touched upon having friends on WTA Tour. “Heather [Watson], Freya Christie… obviously Emma [Raducanu] – we all get on very well,” said the 27-year-old British tennis star.
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Despite their bond, Boulter and Raducanu shared a fierce on-court rivalry. Earlier in June, these two British WTA stars played against each other in the Nottingham Open. Raducanu played well in their semifinal clash, but ultimately, defeat by Boulter was her fate, with the scoreboard reading 7-6, 3-6, 4-6.
On the other hand, Minaur’s girlfriend has played 15 sets against Harriet Dart with a 12 lead against her friend. They met at the Rothesay Open 2024 recently with Boulter defeating Dart by 6-7(5), 6-4, and 7-5. Boulter last year defeated her friend Jodie Burrage at the same tournament and bagged the title.
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Despite their on-court battles, the WTA talent from Britain remain friends, and we might see them compete against each other in Wimbledon. Not to forget Boulter’s adorable gesture for Raducanu during their participation at the Billie Jean King Cup representing their country.
Katie Boulter complimented Emma Raducanu by calling her “idol”
Team Britain went all guns blazing in the 2024 Billie Jean King Cup qualifiers, with their teammate Emma Raducanu leading the destruction of their French rivals. Katie Boulter joined her countrywomen and could not help but be amazed by the performance of Raducanu. The 2021 US Open champion attained a comeback victory against Caroline Garcia 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 and shared images of their team celebrating the victory.
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In this post, Boulter complimented Raducanu’s performance as she wrote, “You my idol.” The comment showed Boulter’s view of Raducanu, despite achieving a 7-5, 6-0 victory over France’s Clara Burel after Garcia vs Raducanu. Boulter had earlier lost to Diane Perry, but Raducanu swooped in and avenged her defeat to seal Britain’s victory.
Boulter’s comments for her compatriots show her ability to keep aside the rivalry and focus on making friends with whom she shares a similar passion for tennis. We will witness both sides in the near future, with the single’s tour displaying their rivalry and their close bond in the BJK Cup finals in November.