Katie Boulter kickstarts her 2023 Wimbledon adventure against Daria Seville on Tuesday - a matter of weeks after becoming Great Britain's new number one.
The 26-year-old moved above the injured Emma Radacunu into top-spot after reaching the semi-finals at the Surbiton Trophy on June 12. But Boulter didn't rest on her laurels and earned more success, this time when she secured the biggest victory in her career so far by winning the Nottingham Open later that month.
She beat fellow Brit Jodie Burrage 6-3, 6-3 in the final, having earned impressive victories over Harriet Dart, Heather Watson on route to her famous win. Boulter, who moved up to as high as world no.77 in the process, cut an emotional figure after the tournament. She said: "I'm definitely going to be sleeping with this trophy tonight.
"I dreamt of this moment at this tournament ever since I was a little girl, since I first trained here aged four or five years old. So, coming here as a fan and also now as a player, dreaming big, I something found a way to win it – this means more than everything to me."
Boulter goes into her Wimbledon first-round match against Daria Seville as the favourite, with the Moscow-born player ranked no.228 in the world. Having reached the third-round this time last year, Boulter will fancy her chances of reaching at least that stage given her recent form on the court.
Not only is she enjoying life on the court, but Boulter is loved up with boyfriend and fellow tennis player Alex de Minaur. The Australian is currently the men's world number 16 and he will also be in action at Wimbledon on Tuesday when he faces Kimmer Coppejans in the first-round.
The couple, who have been dating since 2020, currently rent a house a stone's throw from the All England Club with both families staying at the property. "We all get to spend a whole lot of time together," Boulter said recently.
"I have the option of popping out when I want to - I know where the closest coffee shop is, where the stringers are - so this is a place I can call home."
Boulter also has a long-list of famous fans, including Kate Middleton. The Princess of Wales is expected to watch the Brit in action on Tuesday. However, Boulter has previously sat next to Middleton at Wimbledon - an event she remembers well having spoken to the Royal and enjoyed her company a few years ago.
Boulter told Tatler: "She was cracking jokes... she was really enjoying the tennis.
She was surprising... and absolutely stunning." It wasn't the first time Boulter has met a royal after she spoke to Queen Elizabeth II in 2007 when they met during the opening of the National Tennis Centre in Roehampton.
