Boulter feeling 'no pressure' in British battle
Katie Boulter has been the British number one for almost two years [Getty Images]
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.
Advertisement
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 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."
Advertisement
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.
Advertisement
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.
Advertisement
"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."
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
20 minutes ago
- Yahoo
🌍 World Cup 2026: how are the favourites looking a year out? 🤔
🌍 World Cup 2026: how are the favourites looking a year out? 🤔 The 2026 World Cup kicks off in... a year, on June 11, 2026! Argentina, Spain, France, Portugal, Italy, Brazil: we're taking stock of the state of the big nations 365 days before the big day! They're on fire ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Argentina, Spain Argentina, the current world champion, is leading the qualification group in South America. Lionel Scaloni's players have been officially qualified for several weeks now, and nothing seems to be disturbing them a year before the World Cup. Advertisement On the Spanish side, the year that followed their Euro 2024 title was... almost perfect. La Roja hasn't lost a single match since March 22, 2024 (a 1-0 defeat to Colombia in a friendly), and the defeat in the Nations League final to Portugal on penalties won't plunge Lamine Yamal and his teammates into doubt. It's promising ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Portugal Vitinha, João Neves, Bruno Fernandes, Rafael Leão, Rúben Dias, Cristiano Ronaldo: Portugal's squad is certainly the most complete and intimidating in the world! The victory in the Nations League should give confidence to the entire team and, above all, credit to Roberto Martínez. Although not everything is perfect yet, and sometimes not pretty to watch, the last two matches against Germany and Spain are promising! It's coming together ⭐⭐⭐ Germany, England On the German and English sides, the two teams, respectively led by Nagelsmann and Thomas Tuchel, are in the midst of (re)building. Again, not everything is perfect, but we're starting to see where the two coaches want to go... They're raising questions ⭐⭐ France, Brazil France's post-Euro 2024 period doesn't allow us to approach the 2026 World Cup with full confidence. The defeats against Italy, in Croatia, and against Spain were worrying... just as the victories against Germany, in Italy, or against Croatia at the Stade de France were promising. Advertisement Didier Deschamps has exactly one year to get his Blues out of the fog... On the Brazilian side, the arrival of Carlo Ancelotti should help relaunch a selection that has been struggling in recent years. 📸 Ricardo Moreira - 2025 Getty Images Big danger ⭐ Italy Absent from the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, Italy could miss... the 2026 one! Beaten 3-0 over the weekend in Norway, the Squadra Azzura is already lagging behind Erling Haaland's teammates in the qualifying campaign for the World Cup. Luciano Spalletti was fired, and the team is in crisis. Above all, talented players are terribly lacking. Italy's generational gap is worrying. Also read: - PSG unveils its 2025-26 home jersey Advertisement - Jersey news from last week - Euro U21 2025: our 5 players to watch This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇫🇷 here. 📸 Marcelo Endelli - 2025 Getty Images
Yahoo
23 minutes ago
- Yahoo
The eight most prolific divers in England's top divisions revealed
The eight most prolific divers in England's top divisions revealed (Image: Getty Images) Relegated League One side Bristol Rovers have topped one table this season – being crowned the most prolific divers in England's top divisions. The West Country team recorded eight yellow cards for simulation, the most of any team over the course of the past three seasons. Advertisement Premier League giant Chelsea followed with seven bookings for taking a tumble – the same number as Burton Albion. Manchester City, Newcastle United, Crawley Town, Accrington Stanley and Barrow have been reprimanded six times each after being caught trying to con the ref. (Image: SWNS) Football statistician Statman Dave ran the numbers as part of Snickers' wider Off Your Game campaign, with the Deep Diving Audit offering a data-led look at diving across English football. Dave O'Brien, who pored over match footage, referee reports and extensive game insights to reveal all the most dramatic diving data, said: 'Diving has always been a part of the game, but when you look at the numbers, like I've done for Snickers' Deep Diving Audit, it's clear that some clubs and players really know how to keep things interesting. Advertisement 'Whether it's tactical, instinctive, or maybe even hunger-related, one thing is for sure, when players are off their game, it shows. 'And sometimes, it's not just the ball that goes rolling.' Nearly all cases of diving occurred in the second half, with a particular uptick during the 90th minute – and 70 per cent of dives took place in the penalty area. With Brighton & Hove Albion being named as the club players have dived against most in the Premier League. Strikers are responsible for 26 per cent of all dives over the last three seasons, whereas in defence, only one centre-back was carded for a diving offence. Advertisement Looking at the 2024/25 campaign specifically, 75 per cent of dives occurred when the players' team wasn't winning, with the average dive last season lasting nine seconds. Additionally, the average diving age is 22, they most typically wear white boots – and are also English, with these players making up 42 per cent of dives in the season just gone. Diving in the men's game is significantly more prominent compared to the women's – with just one diving booking found on record from the last three seasons in the Women's Super League. Snickers has enlisted football experts Statman Dave and Nada Allali to create a video which uncovers the most over-the-top tumbles across the England's top leagues. Advertisement Delia Lendais-Metral from the chocolate brand said: 'Let's face it, when you're hungry, you're not quite yourself. 'The Snickers Deep Diving Audit taps into those moments when things go slightly off, on or off the pitch.' 'Whether it's a mis-timed slide or a full-blown flop, this is a fun reminder that staying fuelled helps keep you on your game.' Most dive-prone clubs of the past three seasons (22/23, 23/24, 24/25)
New York Post
an hour ago
- New York Post
Knicks' PJ Tucker angrily pauses vacation to make strong statement on retirement
The league's second-oldest player isn't calling it quits just yet. PJ Tucker, 40, played in just three games with the Knicks last season and has appeared for 10 different teams in his 14-year NBA career, and hopes to play in 2025. Advertisement 'PSA.. Since we are in the era of not doing any fact checking and just repost what we hear from uncredited sources smfh i have to take time out of my vacation to set the record straight so yall can stop sending me the dumb s–t,' Tucker posted to his Instagram Story on Wednesday with water in the video's backdrop. 'Never have [I] mentioned retirement or even given any indication that may be a thing. I'm 40 years young 100% healthy, able, and will continue playing the game I've dedicated my life to… HOOPIN!!!! NOW… Carry on.' 3 PJ Tucker has been more of a locker room leader in his last few NBA seasons. NBAE via Getty Images Advertisement Tucker signed a two-year deal with the Knicks last season with a club option for the 2025-26 season. He previously had a contentious relationship during his time with the Clippers spanning the 2023-24 season and last year after receiving limited playing time. 3 P.J. Tucker's Instagram post. @pjtucker/Instagram Tucker was also traded three times in five days last season, after the Clippers sent the disgruntled forward to the Jazz, before immediately being re-routed to the Heat and then getting traded to the Raptors. Advertisement After the trade, the Raptors waived Tucker and the Knicks swiftly signed him to a 10-day contract. 3 PJ Tucker denied retirement is coming for the league's second odlest player. Getty Images Tucker was then signed to a two-year contract, as they were impressed with his locker room presence. Tucker was certainly a favorite of ex-coach Tom Thibodeau, consistently being lauded as a 'veteran leader.' Advertisement He appeared in three regular-season games for the Knicks and one postseason game. With Thibodeau now fired and the Knicks in limbo and trying to lure a big-name coach, it is unclear where Tucker fits into the team's long-term plans. The only player in the NBA older than Tucker (40 years, 38 days) is LeBron James (40 years, 163 days), and he is one day older than Chris Paul (40 years, 37 days).
