Following her opening singles victory at WTA Ostrava Open 2026, we had the privilege of speaking with Katie Boulter. In a relaxed but honest conversation, Katie shared how she handles pressure, why she no longer ties her happiness to results on tour, and how she views 2026 as a special year – including her upcoming wedding with Alex de Minaur – both on and off the court.
Adapting from Australian summer to European winter
You've just come from a very hot Australian summer to playing and winning here in the middle of winter in Europe. How easy or tough has that switch been for you?
It's not easy, but for me personally – I don't mind the change from outdoors to indoors. I like indoors quite a lot. Obviously it's pretty cold outside right now, maybe a little colder than I expected, but I don't mind it. I'm from London, so I'm used to it, and I have no issue with the cold. I actually kind of love that season – wrapping up warm and staying cosy, I really like it. So I don't really mind too much. Obviously it's very different, two completely different spectrums, and it's quite fun to have such contrast.
Do you have anything in your routine that really helps you handle those quick changes – like sleep, practice schedule, or just getting used to the courts faster?
I think I just try to adapt. Obviously, coming from Australia – one of the toughest things is the jet lag, so it takes about a few days to get used to it. But I've had one full week at home which was really nice. I don't get that many opportunities to be home, so I love every minute that I have. Just being in my own environment and getting into a routine is really helpful, especially after jet lag. You just do the best you can. I don't think there's any one right way to do it – just do the best you can.
Working with new coach Michael Joyce
You started working with Michael Joyce at the beginning of this season. Is the focus more on broader development of your game or specific areas? And do you already have specific goals in mind – like ranking targets or certain parts of the season where you really want to peak?
Of course it was a change for me at the end of the season. I really like his presence. Even today, in a match like this one, when most people expect me to win, there's a little bit of pressure. He reminded me that it's not about this match – it's about the future, and every single match I play builds a little bit of momentum.
Sometimes I can be quite critical of what I do, and each match I play, I want to play unbelievable every time. It's just not quite like that. So having that reassurance – I'm starting to pick it up again, and little by little I know I'm gonna find it. It's just about getting over the line in matches like today.
Lucie [Havlickova] played some inspired tennis today, she's clearly someone who can play really well. I know she had a match point against Xin Yu Wang not so long ago – so she can play some really good tennis. Of course it was a must-win match for me, but I'm really respectful of her, she can play some really good balls.
I'm looking forward to my season and trying to build a little bit of momentum. I'm not thinking too much about results. I obviously always want to play well in the grass season – as a British person, I do have my eyes set on that. But I want to keep building through the rest of the year. It's a big year for me personally and professionally, so I'm looking forward to that.
Katie Boulter on clay court success
Your last season had some disappointments, but there were positives too – you played really well on clay, including your great WTA 125 title run in Paris and the Billie Jean King Cup qualifying win over Tatjana Maria, who's the top seed here in Ostrava this week. When you add those results to your success on grass – like the back-to-back Nottingham titles – it really feels like you've proved you can be dangerous on every surface. How do you see your game continuing to progress from there?
It's funny, because if someone told me I'd get a WTA title on clay, I would probably – and I still do! – laugh at them. Honestly, I don't love clay. I never really thought my game suited it, I didn't necessarily have the patience for it. But I do think that as I've learned a little bit more and got a bit more comfortable, I can play really well on it.
To be able to say that I've got a title on every surface – I don't think everyone can say that. I think that's pretty cool. Obviously people have their specialities – some people play better on clay, some people play better on grass, there are hard court specialists. You tend to stick to that, and normally you do well in your area. But it just proves more to myself that I can play on any surface and adapt my game in the ways I need to get wins.
I think it's more just promising. Obviously, last season was reasonably disappointing – of course I wanted to be higher and finish the year better ranking-wise. But after a few WTA rules kind of kicked me in the butt, I found myself in a situation where I was in qualifying for Australia, and that's not a place where I want to be. I certainly want to work my way out of that, and obviously the three zeroes coming off my ranking very soon will help me in a massive way.
Great Britain's Billie Jean King Cup spirit
You've been a big part of Great Britain's Billie Jean King Cup runs in recent years. Quite often, if you just look at the rankings on paper, your team isn't supposed to go as deep as it does – but you keep upsetting higher-ranked nations and winning tough ties. What makes that group so effective in that competition – is it the chemistry, the captaincy, the way you support each other, or something else?
Honestly? I think we have some really good players, I really do. All of us can play extremely well. I think we match up well, and during the occasions, we rise to them. That side of it is that we always get the best out of each other.
Of course there's good team camaraderie, but every single tie can be different. It's not the same team every time. Last year I prioritized Billie Jean King Cup over everything. I wanted to come back from injury, I wanted to hold my team up, I wanted to play for my country – which is the biggest possible honour you can have.
And again, a battle like you said – on clay, a surface that I really dislike. Actually I think it was my first win on clay at that kind of level of tournament, against Tatjana [Katie won by 1-6 6-3 6-1 in qualifiers tournament in Netherlands, April 2025]. And in the finals again – I think we showed what we're capable of. We lost out in a close one in both matches to the USA, and I feel like we all relish the opportunity to do well.
I look forward to many more ties. This year for me will be interesting to see what the plan is for BJKC. For me – I need to prioritize myself a lot more. We'll see what happens.
Speaking out for young players
Over the last few years your profile on tour has grown a lot – through your on-court results and the way you've become a recognisable and well-liked person off the court. Last year you also spoke out about some of the tougher sides of life on tour. As an experienced and visible player now, do you feel some sort of responsibility to speak out? Because I think the outcome has been very positive, and nowadays people really appreciate it when you raise demanding topics.
For me, I wanted to speak out around Roland Garros last year, because I thought – there are a lot of young girls coming up, especially on the British side, because I don't know so many around. I really feel like if you can try and pave the way a little bit better for them and try to help them not experience what you sometimes have to go through...
I feel that I'm extremely lucky in a way that certain things don't really bother me. I kind of stay within my bubble, and I'm so grateful because I have the most incredible people around me who keep me very sane. Sometimes it can be a little chaotic out there, and obviously as we grow up more and more, the younger generations come through with social media and it's a whole new ball game.
I just wanted to try and help make a difference for them, because honestly it's not very nice to see a lot of messages that come out to young people. Actually, from my own experience with my other half's siblings – I've kind of watched them grow up a little bit more from a younger age, and I see the influence that certain things can have on them. That's why I want to talk about it – because I see how much impact it can have on people, not necessarily them but just in general. So yeah, I really wanted to try and make a difference.
What makes Katie happy on court
It's a great and inspiring thing that you can be some kind of role model. Coming back on court for a moment – when you think about the ideal version of Katie Boulter as a player, what does she look like? What makes you feel like you're playing your best and just having fun out there?
I think the days that you see me smiling on the court, that's when you know I'm really enjoying it. I'm someone who loves a little bit of interaction on the court – I like to talk to my team and I enjoy having a laugh and not taking it too seriously.
I think that for me, that is the best version of myself. We can all get wrapped up in the wins and losses sometimes, and the stress of being on the court – but I have to also remind myself. And even you asking me that question helps remind me that I'm out there to enjoy it and to smile and to have fun.
Actually, sometimes when you don't feel like smiling – it's the best time to smile. Because it gets that happiness out of you. So for me it's not even talking about my game – it's the version of just happiness that I want to see from myself.
2026 – The Big Year for Katie
So staying in that great mood for the last question – we all know that 2026 is a pretty big year for you, especially off the court. Would winning the mixed doubles at Wimbledon be the perfect wedding present for you?
[laughs] Oh, God! I hadn't even thought about that, to be honest with you. Hey, it could be a story! You never know... I don't know if I'm prepared for that or not, but yeah, I'll have the chat this year and see if we can get out there and play mixed doubles at some point. Or maybe it's just a little bit too much stress around the wedding [laughs]. We'll see, I don't know.
But I'm actually really looking forward to this year, because I feel like I can enjoy it no matter what happens on the tennis court. I'm at that stage of my life where tennis is obviously important, but I don't rely on that for my happiness. I'm forever grateful that, as I've said, I have great people around me and I'm very lucky to be in this position.
Update (February 7, 2026): Katie went on to win the whole WTA Ostrava Open 2026 tournament with a masterclass performance throughout the week, capped by a comeback from a set down in the final against Tamara Korpatsch. The title run secured her quick return to the WTA top 100.
This interview was conducted by Maciej Myrta, founder of TennisRatio.com, during the WTA Ostrava Open on February 3, 2026, following Katie Boulter's first-round victory over Lucie Havlickova.