At the beginning of the grass court season last year, question marks surrounded Katie Boulter’s career. Injuries and inconsistency at the lower-level tournaments meant that the glimpses of her considerable ball-striking talent were fleeting and she was trying hard to find her way back to the top 100.
Boulter’s surprise maiden title at the Nottingham Open last year changed everything. It proved a catalyst for her rise and she underlined her improvement a week ago by defending her Nottingham title. Her success over the past year has imbued her with the belief that she belongs among the very best tennis players in the world.
