Boulter feeling 'no pressure' in British battle
Katie Boulter says she is not feeling any pressure as she battles to keep the British number one ranking with Emma Raducanu and Sonay Kartal closing in.Boulter, 28, has been the nation's leading women's player since June 2023, but has dropped down the world rankings in a stop-start season.Having reached a career high 23rd in November, Boulter is now 40th after winning five of her 10 matches this year.Raducanu is up to 49th after reaching the Miami quarter-finals last month, while Kartal's rapid rise has continued and moved her up to 60th."I don't feel any pressure at all," Boulter told BBC Sport."I'm very comfortable in the seat that I am and I know that every single person has a different journey and my journey is not going to be compared to anyone else's – I'm proud of that."I've been the British number one for two years, it's been a fair while now. It's something which I'm quite used to."
Boulter starts her clay-court swing on Tuesday when she plays Katerina Siniakova of the Czech Republic in the Madrid Open first round.The Briton's experience on clay is still limited, having only played four top-level main-draw matches on the surface.After winning one and losing one of her BJK Cup singles matches last week on indoor clay in the Netherlands, Boulter went to Alicante - where her fiancé Alex de Minaur has long been based - for a training week.She decided that was the sensible option - instead of squeezing in another WTA clay-court event before Madrid - as she continues to manage a foot injury.The issue has left her only able to play five tournaments this season, missing almost two months of the WTA Tour between the Australian Open in January and Indian Wells in March."I want to see the girls going higher and higher [in the rankings], but personally I have my own goals and try to focus on those a lot," added Boulter, who secured GB's place in the BJK Cup Finals alongside Jodie Burrage in the deciding doubles."For me I just need to try and stay healthy. That's that most important thing and then the ranking will take care of itself."Obviously I've dropped a little bit from last year but due to the fact I've not been able to play. "It's not like my level has gone anywhere. I feel like my level is great so now it's about keeping myself healthy for the most important tournaments."
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BBC News
29 minutes ago
- BBC News
Boulter exits Queen's and loses British number one spot
Katie Boulter suffered a last-16 exit at Queen's to fifth seed Diana Shnaider and will now relinquish her title as British number one for the first time in two 28-year-old battled hard but lost 2-6 6-3 6-2 on a hot but rain-affected day in west has held the top spot in British tennis since June 2023 but Emma Raducanu will now move ahead of her in the Boulter out, it is over to two more Britons to try for a place in the quarter-finals at the first women's Queen's event since Watson takes on 2022 Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina before Raducanu faces Slovakia's Rebecca Sramkova later on bidding to reach a seventh quarter-final on grass, had expressed concern about her serve earlier in the week, suggesting she would be working on it in the build-up to this no such troubles were apparent in the opening set against Shnaider as Boulter continually caused problems behind her first saved a break point then secured an impressive break to love with a crowd-pleasing volley, Boulter battled to consolidate with an important hold, saving another break point along the then took the double break with a sweeping forehand and more solid serving handed Boulter the opening set as rain threatened to come down in west by the time the umpire suspended play because of a downpour, Boulter was down a break at 4-1 and in trouble on serve a 20-minute rain delay, she returned to be broken for a second time and, despite recovering one break, she could not prevent Shnaider from taking the second set and forcing a once again found herself under the cosh in the opening game, wiping out three break points to secure the hold as problems on serve returned with a saved more break points in her next service game only to double fault and concede the there, Boulter struggled to regroup and went a double break down. She could not find a way back in her bid to book a fifth quarter-final in a WTA 500 event as Shnaider set up a meeting with American second seed and Australian Open champion Madison Keys.
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
BREAKING NEWS Katie Boulter's Queen's hopes come to an end in gritty three-set battle against fifth seed Diana Shnaider - and her British No 1 status is on the line
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North Wales Chronicle
an hour ago
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