Katie Boulter's Australian Open campaign came to an end in the first round as she was outclassed by the 10th seed Belinda Bencic on Margaret Court Arena. The Swiss player delivered a statement performance, securing a comfortable 6-0, 7-5 victory under the Melbourne sun.
Bencic, who has begun the season with six straight wins for the first time in her career, proved too strong for the former British No 1. Boulter acknowledged the quality of her opponent, saying: "She belongs in the top 10. She's a very unique player that you don't get a chance to practise against too much. She kind of makes you almost have to rush and play shots that you don't normally play."
After a flawless first set in which Bencic struck just three unforced errors, Boulter raised her level in the second. She found rhythm on her serve and managed to retrieve a break, establishing a 5-4 lead. However, Bencic elevated her game on the decisive points to close out the match. Boulter took confidence from her improved display, saying: "I think I raised my game a lot more in the second, and that's closer to the game style I've been playing recently."
Boulter now sits at No 113 in the WTA rankings, far from her career-high of No 23 in 2024. As a result, she faces a more uncertain schedule and may need to enter qualifying draws for upcoming events. Despite this, she remains optimistic: "I'm quite excited for it. I'm eager to get out and play loads of matches. I'm not pressured about playing qualifying in any tournaments."
Elsewhere, two-time champion Naomi Osaka rallied from a break down in the final set to beat Antonia Ruzic of Croatia 6-3, 3-6, 6-4. Osaka, who entered the court in a jellyfish-inspired outfit, will progress to the second round.
