British tennis star Katie Boulter sealed a huge victory against Paula Badosa on Monday afternoon in the Ladies’ Singles, but was back on the grounds on Tuesday to watch her fiance, Alex De Minaur, in his opening match of the Championships.
Boulter took a prime spot up high in the stands on Court 18 to watch her beau take on Spaniard Roberto Carballes Baena.
But amid the sweltering Wimbledon heat, with temperatures climbing upwards of 31 degrees on Tuesday morning, the 28-year-old star sheltered from the sun under a purple and green Wimbledon-branded umbrella.
De Minaur, 26, got off to a great start against the World No 72, Baena, claiming the opening two sets 6-2 6-2, much to the delight of his fiancee, who raised her hands to clap her partner after taking the first set.
Just as Boulter was affectionately dubbed an honourary Aussie at January’s Australian Open – with some of the home patrons calling her ‘Aussie Kate’ – today, the shoe was on the other foot for her fiance De Minaur, with the crowd going wild for the ‘honourary Brit’.
Another Australian tennis legend also approved of his compatriot’s start to the match, with Davis Cup captain Lleyton Hewitt rising to his feet and giving the Australian a big fist pump and a ‘Yes mate’.
Katie Boulter hid from the blistering Wimbledon heat on Tuesday as she returned to the All England Club to watch fiance Alex De Minaur in action after besting Paula Badosa on Monday
De Minaur began his Wimbledon campaign against Spanish star Roberto Carballes Baena on Court 18
The couple revealed to their social media followers last year that they had gotten engaged having first begun dating in March 2020
De Minaur was clinical with his service, booming the ball down on his Spanish opponent to win 80 per cent of his first service chances but lacked precision when attempting to break his opponent in the opening set, converting two out of five possible break point chances.
While both players toiled with the gruelling heat, De Minaur kept his foot on the gas in the second set, winning an early break point. A chance to take a 3-0 lead would follow, but Baena saved a break point to pull the set back to 2-1. De Minaur too powerful for the world No 74, winning another break before closing the set out at 6-2.
Boulter and De Minaur have been dating since 2020, with their romance first blossoming during an unexpected meeting at a coffee shop in London at 6am in the morning.
The pair announced in December that they had also been keeping a small from fans on social media, revealing that the Aussie tennis star had dropped to one knee and popped the big question to Boulter.
‘We’ve been keeping a small secret,’ the pair wrote on Instagram, publishing an image of Boulter’s massive diamond ring.
Last year was a remarkable year for both stars, with Boulter winning in San Diego and Nottingham, while De Minaur, won in Acapulco for the second time in consecutive years.
The pair are regularly seen supporting each other during the Grand Slams. De Minaur was seen earlier this year Down Under, rushing from the Rod Laver Arena after beating Botic van de Zandschulp at the Australian Open to support Boulter as she squared off against Rebecca Marino at the same time on the Kia Arena.
The pair who have a home nearby, have also opened up on their Wimbledon routine, with De Minaur revealing that he often has to ‘sneak’ into the house if he has a late finish, in order not to wake his fiancee up.
‘It’s a local one for us. Over the years, we’ve spent more and more time here, so we’ve got a place,’ De Minaur told The Express.
Boulter and De Minaur are regularly seen attending each other’s matches, with Boulter taking up a prime position in the stands at Court 18
De Minaur has dropped out of the ATP Tours top-10 rankings in recent months and will be hoping a good fortnight at Wimbledon can help spur him back into the fold
Aussie legend Lleyton Hewitt was also pictured at Court 18 watching De Minaur’s opening match
The pair also own a home nearby to Wimbledon and have lifted the lid on their routine during the Championships
‘We try to keep things as normal as possible and we prioritise each other’s matches in the schedule.
‘So if, let’s say, I’ve got a late one and she’s got an early one the following day, I’ll do my best to make sure that I get all my treatment done, everything done, and then basically just sneak into the room and try not to wake her up if she’s sleeping.’
But De Minaur has battled with his form on the court at times this year, with the Aussie star dropping out of the ATP Tour’s top-10 rankings in the past two months, falling to 11th in the world.
De Minaur dazzled at the Australian Open earlier this year, making it to the quarter-finals at his home slam for the first time in his career. He’d lose out on winning his first ATP Tour event of the season to Carlos Alcaraz in the final of the ATP500 event in Rotterdam in February.
More recently, De Minaur, who had begun the year ranked 8th on the ATP Tour, was knocked out of April’s Madrid Open in the round of 16 by Lorenzo Musetti and then again in the Round of 16 at the ATP 1000 in Rome by Tommy Paul.
At the French Open, the Aussie star failed to make it past the Second Round, being bested by Alexander Bublik over five sets.
Boulter, meanwhile, has been flying in form in 2025, having swept away No 9 seed Badosa 6-2 6-3 6-4 on Monday.
The Brit picked up her first win of the season in Paris in May, winning the Trophee Clarins a week before the French Open.
Boulter dazzled on Monday, claiming a huge 6-2 6-3 6-4 win against Paula Badosa to advance to the second round of the Ladies Singles
Boulter (pictured) will now face Argentinian player Solana Sierra in the second round
De Minaur revealed that he often has to sneak into the house if he has a late finish, in order to not wake Boulter up
She also starred last week in Nottingham, beating fellow Brit Sonny Kartal, only to be knocked out in the quarter-finals by Mccartney Kessler, who would go on to win the event.
Boulter is now due to face Argentinian player Solana Sierra in the second round of the event. Sierra is ranked 101st on the WTA Tour.
More to follow…
