British tennis star Katie Boulter has been handed a place in the Australian Open main draw after a series of late withdrawals, ending a stressful period of uncertainty. The world No. 113 was originally set to go through qualifying but received the news just after the draw was released on Sunday evening.
Boulter admitted the situation was challenging. 'I did my best to focus on what I was doing, trying not to think too much about whether I was going to get in or out... I found out literally after the draw came out around 5pm. Dino texted me saying that someone pulled out. It was a pretty tough day,' she said.
The British No. 4 has called on the WTA Tour to adopt a rule similar to the ATP's, using end-of-season rankings from November for Australian Open entry lists. 'I feel like the WTA should maybe follow that, because I'm there in the middle of my pre-season wondering whether I should go play... It's quite unsettling,' Boulter explained.
Boulter is looking ahead to 2026 with optimism, having teamed up with new coach Michael Joyce. 'I feel like it's going well... everything is going well, and just really looking to build on what we've started,' she stated.
Off the court, Boulter is also preparing for her wedding to world No. 6 Alex de Minaur. 'It's going to be an unbelievable year, one of the best ones in my life, no matter what happens on the tennis court,' she smiled.
