MELBOURNE —“I can’t walk down the street with him,” says Katie Boulter with a wry smile.
During Wimbledon, she is used to being the centre of attention, especially since becoming British No 1 in June.
But in Australia, the roles are reversed with her boyfriend Alex de Minaur, ranked a career-high 10 in the world and viewed by his home fans as a dark horse to end Novak Djokovic’s dominance of the Australian Open.
That view has been strengthened by victory over the Serb on home soil two weeks ago, a result that has also reinforced his celebrity status Down Under.
“I feel like I’m sharing him with everyone, which isn’t a bad thing, but it’s definitely a lot,” Boulter adds.
“But he’s handled it a lot of his career and he knows how to deal with it and I’m right there next to him.
“I don’t want to speak for him but he’s played some great tennis going into this year, and I’m sure he expects himself to come out and fight and do everything that he’s done for his whole entire career.”
There was a brief hiatus in tennis relations when Australia were drawn against Great Britain in the United Cup in the season-opening tournament – although Boulter’s victory over Ajla Tomljanovic, combined with De Minaur’s defeat to Cam Norrie, meant they did not have to go through the awkwardness of a decisive mixed doubles encounter.
And there were no hard feelings anyway as Australia got out of the group in spite of defeat.
Britain were knocked out on countback but Boulter did pick up the biggest win of her career by ranking, beating world No 5 Jessica Pegula.
“It was huge. I just tried to trust myself in those moments and I think I learned a lot from the Sabalenka match last year,” Boulter says, recalling a 7-5 7-6 defeat to then-world No 1 Aryna Sabalenka.
“During the match I was trying to compose myself and remind myself I’ve been in this position before and just to keep going for it, keep trusting the work that I’ve done during pre-season and I really feel like I could match her.
“I’m sure it wasn’t the best match of her career, but I felt like I was right there. She’s one of the top players in the world and it gives you belief that that can be you and I strongly believe that if I keep working the way that I do that I can do that.”
That work has been aided a first-ever injury-free season in 2023 and then the addition to her team of Matt Little, the fitness trainer who has spent years with Andy Murray.
Little wrote a book called The Way of the Tortoise: Why You Have to Take the Slow Lane to Get Ahead, a concept to which Boulter, 27, is no stranger, having only reached the top 60 in the world at the end of last season.
Her countrywoman Emma Raducanu could take some of that advice too, although Boulter’s diagnosis of their hit together on Friday morning was that the 2021 US Open champion is firmly back.
“It’s absolutely incredible what she’s doing,” Boulter says.
“To come back with that level already is inspirational for me. You know how long it took me to get back and it really isn’t easy, trust me. It’s not something that you can just pick up like that and it seems like she’s playing very, very well and I’m sure it’s gonna be a great year for her. I’m expecting big things.”
Her expectations of herself are similarly high. Last summer, she was open about wanting to become world No 1, an ambition she would no repeat but is a clear “north star” goal.
“It’s time to start getting up to the real business side of tennis,” Boulter says.
“The work that we’ve been putting in has given me a great platform this past year to really push on and give these girls a go. Now it just takes a little bit of belief and a lot more hard work.”
Boulter has only ever won one match in the Australian Open main draw – a nail-biting third-set tie-break in 2019 – and while she has avoided all the seeded players in the first round, she will face a tricky clash with in-form Chinese 25-year-old Yuan Yue.
“She’s currently in Hobart semi-finals. I watched a little bit of last night when I knew I was playing her,” Boulter adds.
“She’s clearly a very, very good player. She got a lot of wins at the end of last year and a lot of tournament wins as well. And she’s definitely someone who’s on the up and it’s going to be a tough match.”
