Tennis power couple Alex de Minaur, 25 and Katie Boulter may have only just become engaged, but wedding plans are already on the mind. Currently competing in the Australian Open, defeating Alex Michelsen to make it to the quarter final, de Minaur joked post-match about his upcoming nuptials fuelling his on-court success.
Speaking to Laura Robson for Eurosport, he quipped, “You know, that’s honestly, when I’m out there on court and you see me so stressed out, I’m just thinking of the wedding budget.
“And that’s why I’m like ‘I need to win more money, I need to win more matches’. That’s all that goes through my head.”
When it comes to tennis champions, everything about their professional career is documented—from the age they first picked up a racket to the type of court they most prefer playing on—so, it only makes sense the couple would share the news on their engagement with the world on December 23rd.
And, as proven by films like Challengers, Wimbledon and Match Point there’s nothing we love more than a steamy on-court romance (it must be something about those outfits). So, fans have been eating up rising tennis star Alex de Minaur’s romance with British champion Katie Boulter, 28, since they went “Instagram Official” in March 2021.
Katie Boulter posted the happy news to Instagram on the 23rd of December, a selfie of the couple hugging with an unmissable emerald-cut diamond on her ring-finger. “We’ve been keeping a small secret…” she wrote, providing an early Christmas present to tennis fans everywhere.
The Instagram post was flooded with comments, indicating some of their tennis community may have been in the loop for a while. Anna Kalinskaya, who is engaged in her own on-court romance with Italian tennis pro Jannik Sinner, wrote ““Yesssssssssssssss I was waiting.” Other peers including Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk, Romania’s Ana Bogdan, Belarus’ Victoria Azarenka and Spain’s Paula Badosa piled in on the love-fest
Here, we recap everything you need to know about de Minaur and Boutler’s romance, including their connection to the Princess Of Wales.
How Did Katie Boulter And Alex De Minaur Meet?
Boulter and de Minaur have been together for five years, but they didn’t meet courtside. Boulter told the Sydney Morning Herald that they had a chance meeting, bumping into each other while staying in the same hotel. “I knew Alex to say hi to because we had mutual friends: he had a reputation as a good and humble person,” she said. “Then one day, when we were staying in the same hotel 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.”
Who Is Katie Boulter?
Hailing from Leicestershire in England, the 28-year-old Katie has been dating de Minaur since March 2020. At the time of writing, the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) notes her global ranking at 24. In Britain she’s ranked no.1.
While she’s on top of her game now, Boulter’s had to overcome challenges throughout her career. In 2016 Boulter was diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome, forced to take 12 months out of her career as she “struggled to live her everyday life, let alone train”. Two years later, in 2018, she became the first Briton to break into the top 100 ranked women in almost three years. She told The Standard she wanted to “inspire” people suffering from similar conditions to pursue their sporting dreams.
“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,” she said.
Like her boyfriend, the tennis favourite is a frequent fixture at major tennis championships including the Australian Open and Wimbledon.
And, Boulter is well connected having been spotted rubbing shoulders with actual royalty back in 2019 after sitting next to Kate Middleton, the Princess Of Wales, during a match on day two of Wimbledon.
Both Boulter and de Minaur have had strong years in 2024, boding well for the Australian Open. Boulter won the biggest title of her career at the WTA (Women’s Tennis Association) 500 San Diego Open. At the same time, De Minaur broke into the top 10 of the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) for the first time.
What Have Katie Boulter and Alex De Minaur SaidAbout Their Relationship?
Boulter revealed that De Minaur was her rock during Wimbledon Wimbledon 2024, when she was eliminated as de Minaur progressed to the third round.
After Boulter’s defeat, she revealed what her tennis star boyfriend said to console her loss.
“One match doesn’t define my career. That’s the first thing he said to me when I got off the court,” Boulter said. “He knows what he’s talking about. It’s not his first rodeo. He’s been through it all before, and I’m lucky to have that support.”
This wasn’t the first time Boulter has spoke about how de Minatour supports her. In 2019, Boutler’s career was sojourned after sustaining a back injury. In 2022, after beating Karolina Pliskova for a win at Wimbledon, Boulter revealed that de Minaur inspired her to get back onto the court again.
“He is the epitome of a fighter and someone that goes out and gives their all every single day. That’s what I aspire to be like. He helps me do that. I’m a very lucky girl,” she said following the match.
She’s also said that tennis comes first for both of them and that their shared ambition powers their relationship. “We’re on the same wavelength when it comes to our priorities. Tennis is where we want to be – and the rest will come,” she told Tatler.
Meanwhile, Alex de Minaur has been effusive about his now fiancé. To mark International Women’s Day in 2024 de Minaur shared a post of them together. He wrote: “Happy International Women’s Day!! Specially to this one, I don’t mind you.” To which, Katie quipped back: “Guess you’re OK too [love heart emoji].”
Alex de Minaur never misses an opportunity to celebrate Boulter’s achievements publically. In 2022 he took a moment from his post-match Wimbedon conference to give her a shout out. “Before we talk about my match, can we just talk about Katie Boulter today? I mean, she had a pretty good win herself.”
When Is Alex De Minaur And Katie Boulter’s Wedding
At time of writing, the couple have not set a date. We’re sure it will be a major event in the international tennis calendar.
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