Katie Boulter ‘very strong’ for overcoming injury and grief at SW19 – boyfriend
Australian number one Alex de Minaur also said he would have given up his Court 1 slot for Boulter to have a bigger home crowd.
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.The boyfriend of British tennis star Katie Boulter has described her as “a very strong person” for battling grief and injury during Wimbledon this year.
Australian number one Alex de Minaur also said he would have given up his Court 1 slot for Boulter to benefit from a bigger home crowd if he had the choice.
De Minaur beat Britain’s Liam Broady on Wimbledon’s second-biggest court on Saturday, while Boulter was knocked out of the competition by France’s Harmony Tan, who also beat tennis titan Serena Williams on Tuesday.
The 25-year-old from Leicester made headlines after dedicating her earlier win to her grandmother, Jill, who had died two days before, in a tearful speech to the crowd.
De Minaur, 23, told journalists on Saturday that Boulter has been “incredibly strong” during a difficult time.
He said: “I think not many people know how strong she is, as a human being, as a character, how she’s been able to deal with a lot in her young career.
“She hasn’t been playing nearly as much on tour just because of injuries and other things happening through her life.
“So I think she’s just an incredibly strong person, to be able to come back after all these injuries and still come out and play probably one of her best grass court seasons to date and just show what she can do on a daily basis is just amazing.”
When asked if he would have traded his Court 1 slot for Boulter’s Court 2, he said: “I mean, of course.
“She’s a Brit, so I’m sure she would have loved to play on Court 1 or on Centre and get as much support as she could.
“But, it’s not in my hands.”
De Minaur added that they can count on each other for support whatever the result of their games.
He said: “If I was to play first and she’s later on, if I can go out there, win my match, I will be there supporting her later on. She does the same.
“We’re there for each other, which is the biggest thing – win, lose, or draw.”