Two days after the death of her grandmother, British local Katie Boulter was back on the grass at Wimbledon. She wasn’t going to miss a chance to play at her grandma’s favourite tennis tournament.
Her grandfather was right there on Centre Court watching every twist and turn, and, ultimately, the emotional celebration that came with an upset victory.
Playing through the stress of her family’s loss, and the pressure of being in the biggest stadium at the All England Club against last year’s runner-up, Boulter staged a surprising comeback to beat sixth-seeded Karolina Pliskova 3-6 7-6 (4) 6-4.
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“It’s been a tough few days for sure,” Boulter after breaking down on court following the win.
“I’ve tried to kind of get my emotions out and deal with the situation, try and keep my head on the tennis.
“I was lucky because my grandpa managed to come down from Leicester, and so we could keep him company and keep supporting him at the same time.”
The victory puts the 25-year-old into the third round at a grand slam tournament for the first time. That’s a pretty good run for someone ranked 118th in the world who was only invited to play at Wimbledon with a wild card entry, despite also beating Pliskova last week at a warm-up event in Eastbourne, England.
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It was her first victory over a top-10 player.
“I managed to control my emotions very well and played a really good match,” Boulter said.
“Ultimately it came down to the wire, and I think I stayed really strong in the tough moments. I think that’s why I got the win today.”
Boulter will face Harmony Tan of France in the next round. Tan eliminated seven-time Wimbledon champion Serena Williams in the first round and then beat 32nd seed Sara Sorribes Tormo 6-3 6-4 on Thursday.
“There will be some public (support) for her, but I’m prepared for that,” Tan said of her next match.
The crowd, probably on Centre Court, will certainly get behind Boulter, just like her grandmother used to do.
“Her favourite tournament was Wimbledon,” Boulter said.
“That’s why it’s a special one for me.”
Boulter is Australian Alex de Minaur’s girlfriend of two years.
Speaking after his four-set win over Englishman Jack Draper, de Minaur took a moment to celebrate his partner’s inspiring win
“Before we talk about my match, can we just talk about Katie Boulter today?” he said to cheers from the crowd.
“She had a pretty good win herself.”
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