British star Katie Boulter was grateful for the comforting words of her boyfriend Alex de Minaur following her Wimbledon exit and will once again stand by the Australian star as he tries to claim his own piece of SW19 tournament glory.
The Anglo-Australian pair, the supposed ‘power couple’ of tennis, made big headlines at Wimbledon, with de Minaur receiving much praise on social media after he consoled British number one Boulter after she lost in the deciding super tiebreak of her second-round match against Harriet Dart.
“It’s all about being there for each other, right? So whatever she needs today, I’ll be there for her,” de Minaur explained after helping her cope with a devastating loss after a 6-2 lead in the breakdance.
But Boulter, who had to play the same supporting role at the Australian Open in Melbourne after de Minaur lost a painful match to Andrey Rublev, will be back to cheer on the 25-year-old Sydneysider when he takes on Lucas Pouille for a place in the last 16 on Saturday (Sunday AEST).
“Look, one match doesn’t define my career. That was the first thing he said to me when I left the court,” Boulter explained when asked how de Minaur had tried to cheer her up after rushing to Court No. 1 to watch her match on Thursday following his own second-round win over Jaume Munar.
“He knows what he’s talking about. It’s not his first rodeo. He’s been through it all before. I’m glad to have that support.”
There have been moments during their relationship when they have both enjoyed fame and glory on the same weekend, like in March when de Minaur rushed from Mexico to the United States after his triumph in Acapulco to watch Boulter also win a WTA title in San Diego.
Just last month, de Minaur won in ‘s-Hertogenbosch, while Boulter won in Nottingham the same weekend, earning the Australian a joking dig from the Englishwoman, who told the crowd: “My boyfriend didn’t come with me, although after his win I thought he might make it!”
But this was one of those more difficult days when one person succeeded while the other struggled.
“See, that’s just how it is in tennis, isn’t it? You have good days, you have bad days and everything in between,” de Minaur said.
“It’s going to be tough. Losing sucks. That’s the reality. It doesn’t matter if you lose in the first round, the final or anywhere in between, it’s never easy.”
“But I think the most important thing for her is that this game does not define her in any way. Yeah, I’m so proud of what she’s done, what she’s accomplished this whole grass season. She’s just going to keep going.”
Boulter will no doubt be courtside on Saturday when de Minaur takes on the 30-year-old Pouille, a former top-10 player who was good enough to reach the semifinals of the 2016 Australian Open but who has been plagued by injuries in recent years and slipped to 212th in the rankings.
“He is an experienced player with a very high level and on a good day he can make it very difficult for any other player,” said de Minaur of the French qualifier.
“So he’ll probably bring it to me. I have to do my best.”