Katie Boulter is set to return to competitive action at Queen's today, having been awarded a wildcard entry into the prestigious summer tournament that marks the start of the grass court season in London. The British player faces Donna Vekic in the quarter-final after producing the performance of a lifetime to beat former Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina.
Doubles Partnership with Raducanu
Boulter, currently ranked as British No. 3, will rekindle her doubles partnership with Emma Raducanu. The popular duo, nicknamed "Boulter-canu", are expected to gain valuable game-time ahead of Wimbledon next month. "For the moment, Queen's is the perfect place for us to get some matches and some time on the grass," Boulter said in the build-up. "I really enjoyed my time last year playing with her; it was super fun, but also we both really wanted to win and had one goal in mind."
Raducanu echoed the sentiment: "It's really nice to play with Katie. We try to make Queen's our tournament that we play together. I don't play doubles very often, but the experience last year was really fun. We had a full Court 1 watching and supporting us. I'm excited to hopefully do it again this year and the opportunity to play with her on a home court."
Engagement and Wedding Plans
Boulter is due to marry world number six Alex de Minaur later this year, having announced their engagement in December 2024. Reflecting on their first meeting, Boulter said: "We bumped into each other at six in the morning and ended up getting a coffee. From that moment, I knew I was in it for the long haul." She shared brief details about their upcoming wedding: "I've not been a massive dreamer about my wedding. As long as my family are there, I'll be happy. I did sort of dream about a destination wedding. Having a place you can go back to that's your place. So it's possible it'll be in the middle of nowhere."
De Minaur confirmed they will not marry in Australia or the UK and has been involved in preparations. "This is a 50-50 relationship, so honestly, the fact that we're both tennis players means we are both doing as much as we can together. I have been making some of the decisions so far. But when it comes to the details like napkins and flowers, that's not my forte," he said.
Net Worth and Health Struggles
The couple have established themselves as one of tennis' premier pairings, boasting a combined net worth of between $5 million and $6.5 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth estimates. Boulter opened up earlier in her career about receiving a diagnosis of chronic fatigue syndrome, which cost her 12 months on the tour. In 2018, she said she "struggled to live her everyday life, let alone train," revealing she had been diagnosed in 2016. She added: "I hope I encourage people to do sport, and for those who have similar conditions to me, inspire them. It can be a career for them. I hope they see what I've achieved and realise they can do it, or do whatever they want to - that they can achieve their dreams."
In January 2021, she told the Guardian she felt she had "officially conquered" the condition. "I'm still very careful with what I do. There are certain exercises I've categorically ruled out. But in terms of chronic fatigue I now feel like I've officially conquered it. I am as strong as I have ever been physically. And mentally I feel like I'm in a great place after that very difficult time. It gives me a lot of faith I can get back to being No. 82 and then push on from there."
