On the tennis court, things went well for Katie Boulter last season. But the increasing attention also gave her unpleasant experiences.
Tennis star Katie Boulter has not only impressed as Britain’s number 1 in the past 18 months, but has also experienced the dark side of life in the spotlight. The 28-year-old tennis player has enjoyed sporting highs, including entering the world’s top 30 and winning several titles, but has also had unpleasant encounters with intrusive “fans”.
In an interview with the British newspaper “The Guardian”, Boulter describes how she has repeatedly found herself in unpleasant situations. For example, she says she was once followed by a car in London when she wanted to pick up her friend and tennis pro Alex de Minaur. “I was with Alex, so it was absolutely fine, but yes, it wasn’t the best feeling,” Boulter said.
“It’s a strange world sometimes”
However, it did not stop with the one incident. It became particularly threatening at the tournament in Nottingham, where she triumphed in 2023 and 2024: “Someone wrote to me on social media: ‘I’m outside. I’ll hurt you when you come out,’” the tennis player reports. She then contacted the WTA tennis tour officials, who actually found the man on site. “These things happen all the time,” says Boulter. “Obviously, we are very well protected so you feel safe. The WTA does a great job of being there for us. I feel like we are as protected as we can be, which is a comfort at least.”
Boulter explains that unfortunately experiences like this are not uncommon, especially for women in public life. “It’s something I’ve always thought about. Us women, when we’re home alone at night, we sometimes think about things like that,” Boulter said. She adds, “It’s kind of normal these days. It’s a strange world sometimes.”
