By Beth Hale for the Daily Mail
Published: 19:50 EDT, 30 June 2022 | Updated: 08:09 EDT, 1 July 2022
As she darted from one side of the court to the other yesterday, few watching Katie Boulter will have suspected that, as well as dealing with the immense grief of losing her grandmother, just six years ago she was suffering from chronic fatigue syndrome so debilitating she couldn’t get out of bed.
Not only that, but in 2019 the 25-year-old suffered a serious back injury that saw her consigned to the sidelines for months.
Her remarkable comeback demonstrates a steely resolve that fans now hope will propel her even further through this year’s Wimbledon.
So who is the 5ft 11in powerhouse from Leicester with the perfect ponytail, who is now carrying the hopes of a nation? One thing’s for certain, she’s no flash in the pan.
The world number 118, from Leicester, who suffered a back injury in 2019, beat Frenchwoman Clara Burel with ease in her first match of the tournament in a comfortable 7-5 6-3 win. She has now also reached the third round at the All England Club for the first time yesterday afternoon after winning against World No 6 Karolina Pliskova in a tough second round clash.
And hours later Australian tennis star Alex De Minaur gave an adorable shout-out to his British girlfriend. The 19th seed managed to win over the crowd on Court One despite defeating British hopeful Jack Draper in a four-set tussle last night. Speaking on court afterwards, De Minaur, who was watched by Boulter, told the BBC: 'Before we talk about my match, can we just talk about Katie Boulter today? I mean, she had a pretty good win herself.'
Katie Boulter produced the biggest win of her career by upsetting Wimbledon finalist Karolina Pliskova on Centre Court to reach the third round of a Grand Slam for the first time
A tearful Miss Boulter revealed last night that her grandmother had died two days ago
Katie said that her 'granny' had been an inspiration, and loved tennis. She would always attend Wimbledon, with her death this week shattering her family
Katie with her mother and grandmother in a photograph captioned 'hunting' at an event near their Leicestershire home
Sue Boulter (centre), mother of Great Britain's Katie Boulter, and and Katie's grandfather Brian, clap and cheer, after her victory in the second round match against Karolina Pliskova yesterday. Brian, who is in his 80s, invented anti-theft tags to prevent the shoplifting of clothes and other items
The world number 118, from Leicester, beat Frenchwoman Clara Burel with ease in her first match of the tournament in a comfortable 7-5 6-3 win. Pictured with her boyfriend Alex de Minaur at an event at Wimbledon in May
Boulter (pictured with her mother and grandfather brian), 25, who spent part of the lockdown during the coronavirus pandemic volunteering for Age UK, often shares glamorous snaps on her Instagram of her adventures training and competing around the world
She is another of Britain's new rising tennis stars and is having a brilliant Wimbledon
Precociously talented, Katie won the first tournament she ever entered – the Leicestershire under-10s – aged just five.
A hug for Emma! Katie greets Emma Raducanu ahead of a training match at Wimbledon. Emma has since lost her second round match
By the time she was ten she was claiming national titles and representing Great Britain, following in the footsteps of her mother Sue, also a junior GB international who twice captained Leicestershire to the County Cup.
Growing up in the upmarket village of Woodhouse Eaves, Katie and her older brother James – a keen tennis player, who now works in public relations – would join their mother at Leicestershire Lawn Tennis Club, which was within ‘lobbing distance’ of the family home.
Aged four when she first picked up a racquet, Katie was determined to beat her older brother. ‘When Katie was tiny, she would be waiting at the side of the court while I was coaching, desperate to have a go,’ Sue recalls.
‘That’s how she came to enter the under-10s event, it wasn’t planned. I’ve still got a photo of the presentation. The other girl is giving her a glare, but Katie is just grinning into the camera, as happy as could be.’
Katie’s mum, who is divorced from her father David, travels widely to support her daughter and was in the stands yesterday alongside Katie’s grandfather, Brian Gartshore.
She was dubbed 'Britain's new rising tennis star' last year when at Wimbledon , and Katie Boulter appears set to put on an equally impressive display this summer.
The world number 118, from Leicester, who suffered a back injury in 2019, beat Frenchwoman Clara Burel with ease in her first match of the tournament in a comfortable 7-5 6-3 win.
She has now also reached the third round at the All England Club for the first time this afternoon after winning against World No 6 Karolina Pliskova in a tough second round clash.
Tall and with easy power, Boulter, 25, who spent part of the lockdown during the coronavirus pandemic volunteering for Age UK, often shares glamorous snaps on her Instagram of her adventures training and competing around the world.
Meanwhile, the stunning blonde, whose mother Sue is a former Tennis coach, confirmed in 2021 that she is dating top-ranked Australian tennis star Alex de Minaur, who has a career-high singles ranking of No. 15.
Boulter, who grew up in the upmarket Leicestershire village of Woodhouse Eaves, started playing tennis aged four, and went on to represent Great Britain three years later in a junior competition.
She has previously said that when she was younger, beating her older brother in practice games was her motivation.
In 2011, aged just 14, she reached the final of the Orange Bowl in America, one of the most prestigious junior Tennis tournaments.
Before her tennis career, she played the piano and also has a keen interest in fashion, having even made an appearance in Vogue magazine in 2018.
She is also an avid fan of Leicester City Football Club, sharing snaps online of her attending games with her grandfather Brian Gartshore, who is in his 80s and invented anti-theft tags to prevent the shoplifting of clothes and other items.
Boulter reached the world ranking of 82 before she was struck down with injury in April 2019 when she was part of Great Britain's Federation Cup team.
Following the team's victory over Kazakhstan she suffered a spinal stress fracture, side-lining her for the rest of the year.
Her rehabilitation was compounded by her battle with chronic fatigue, which she was diagnosed with as a teenager.
However this year she is back at Wimbledon, where her beau Alex is also competing. 'There's no place like home. Grateful for the opportunity,' Katie said of her return to SW19.
Katie’s Instagram page is full of snaps of her and the 86-year-old inventor (he helped develop the anti-theft tags used in clothes shops) together – at dinner, watching their football team Leicester City, on country walks.
‘He is literally my idol,’ she says. ‘He put down the airfield lights at Gatwick and Heathrow, he is a smart guy. And we have some great conversations about nothing to do with tennis.’ However, Brian is not the only man to appear on Katie’s glossy Instagram feed. Also featured is her boyfriend, Australian tennis No 1 Alex de Minaur.
They have been a couple since March 2020. ‘I’m super lucky,’ she said this week. ‘He’s so supportive of me in the job that I do and completely understands.
‘To have that kind of connection where they know what you’re going through, the lows and highs, it does feel very comforting.’
Katie is coached by former British No 1 Jeremy Bates. She is also a member of the LTA Pro Scholarship Programme for the most highly regarded developing elite players in the country.
Having already modelled for Nike and graced the pages of Vogue, Katie’s commercial potential is reflected in her recent signing by KIN Partners, a boutique management agency whose clients include David Beckham. It’s all the more extraordinary when you consider that six years ago she was suffering from severe chronic fatigue syndrome.
The little-understood condition flared up following a trip to India in December 2014, where she had contracted a virus, and dramatically worsened the next year. ‘I got to the point where I was pretty much doing nothing during the day,’ she has said. ‘I was in bed. I would go for walks and that was my daily activity. I got sick a lot.’
Having got back on court, disaster struck again in April 2019. Just after breaking into the world’s top 100, Katie suffered a serious back injury – a spinal stress fracture – as part of Great Britain’s Federation Cup team.
The injury, following GB’s victory over Kazakhstan, saw her sidelined for the rest of the year. Although a leg injury this year has further limited her play, she’s nevertheless been blasting back, including beating yesterday’s rival Pliskova earlier at a match in Eastbourne last week.
Her experiences seem to have only sharpened her resolve, with Katie saying: ‘I’ve come to terms [with the fact] that I don’t think I am ever going to be perfect.
‘I’ve been working hard on just trying to stay and be there for longer than just one match. In my mind I am here to stay.
‘I want to be in the top 10 one day and I believe I can be there. It’s just a matter of keeping my body and mind in check.
‘One thing I can guarantee is that, no matter what is thrown in my direction, I’m a fighter and I’ll get there eventually.’
Tall and with easy power, Boulter, 25, who spent part of the lockdown during the coronavirus pandemic volunteering for Age UK, often shares glamorous snaps on her Instagram of her adventures training and competing around the world.
Meanwhile, the stunning blonde, whose mother Sue is a former Tennis coach, confirmed in 2021 that she is dating top-ranked Australian tennis star Alex de Minaur, who has a career-high singles ranking of No. 15.
Boulter, who grew up in the upmarket Leicestershire village of Woodhouse Eaves, started playing tennis aged four, and went on to represent Great Britain three years later in a junior competition.
She has previously said that when she was younger, beating her older brother in practice games was her motivation.
In 2011, aged just 14, she reached the final of the Orange Bowl in America, one of the most prestigious junior Tennis tournaments.
Before her tennis career, she played the piano and also has a keen interest in fashion, having even made an appearance in Vogue magazine in 2018.
She is also an avid fan of Leicester City Football Club, sharing snaps online of her attending games with her grandfather Brian Gartshore, who is in his 80s and invented anti-theft tags to prevent the shoplifting of clothes and other items.
‘He’s a very smart guy and he’s always been there for me throughout everything,’ Boulter previously said, via The Express and Star.
Katie is coached by former British No 1 Jeremy Bates. She is also a member of the LTA Pro Scholarship Programme for the most highly regarded developing elite players in the country
Boulter reached the world ranking of 82 before she was struck down with injury in April 2019 when she was part of Great Britain's Federation Cup team. Pictured, Katie in a training snap shared on Instagram
Katie's mother Sue is a former Tennis coach. Katie started playing Tennis when she was just four-years-old
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Aged four when she first picked up a racquet, Katie was determined to beat her older brother. After defeats for Emma Raducanu and Andy Murray on Wednesday, Boulter thrilled the home crowd by coming from a set down to win 3-6, 7-6, 6-4.
Strike a pose! Katie, who has recovered from injury, shares snaps of her jet-set life on Instagram
On International Women's Day 2021, Alex made it official with a gushing Instagram post, alongside a photo of the pair sharing a warm embrace
Boulter reached the world ranking of 82 before she was struck down with injury in April 2019 when she was part of Great Britain's Federation Cup team.
Following the team's victory over Kazakhstan she suffered a spinal stress fracture, side-lining her for the rest of the year.
Her rehabilitation was compounded by her battle with chronic fatigue, which she was diagnosed with as a teenager.
However this year she is back at Wimbledon, where her beau Alex is also competing. 'There’s no place like home. Grateful for the opportunity,' Katie said of her return to SW19.
Boulter has full confidence that if she can stay fit she belongs at the highest level.
'I really do. I feel like I’ve shown in some of the matches recently some of the stuff that I’m capable of,' she said. 'It’s just doing it day in, day out. For me, that is the toughest challenge.
'Of course, I’ve got so much to work on in my game. I really feel like I can push on. But I do feel like I can compete with a lot of the best players in the world.
'Getting my first top-10 win last week showed me that and it proved to me I’m there and thereabouts, I’ve just got to stay fit.
'I really hope that I can push on and stay injury-free. That’s going to be my ultimate goal. I’ve said it year in, year out. I’ve dedicated a lot of time and effort into keeping myself on the court. I’m hoping this year it’s going to pay off.'
Boulter’s early evening victory on Court 18 during her first match of Wimbledon this year saw her become the ninth Briton to qualify for the second round – the most since 1997.
And she is loving the 'magic' that is happening within the ranks of home players.
Katie Boulter cruised through to the second round of Wimbledon (Zac Goodwin/PA)
'I’m absolutely loving it. I feel like everyone’s pushing themselves, almost just spurring each other on with the little bit of magic that’s going on in British tennis right now,' she said.
'I feel like I’m catching a little bit of it and I hope that I can push other people with that. It’s really nice to be a part of it. I know how hard they work behind the scenes.
'Everyone’s doing great, and hopefully we can keep that going. We’re in a really, really good place. I hope that, yeah, many more wins will come off the back of that.'
On International Women's Day last year, her boyfriend Alex made their relationship official with a gushing Instagram post, alongside a photo of the pair sharing a warm embrace.
'Happy International Women's Day! Specially to this one, I don't mind you,' he wrote. She commented: 'Guess you're OK too' with a love heart and kissing emoji.
Boulter used her time during 2020's UK lockdown to complete work with Age UK, a charity for the elderly, where 'there was one elderly lady I called every week so I could check that she's OK and see if she needs anything doing'.
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