Katie Boulter, the British No. 1, achieved the biggest triumph of her career by winning the San Diego Open on Sunday. She came back from a set down to beat the sixth-seeded Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine in a thrilling final that lasted over two hours.
Boulter, who was unseeded in the tournament, showed her resilience and determination as she overcame a slow start and a formidable opponent. She lost the first set 5-7, but bounced back strongly to take the next two sets 6-2, 6-2. She broke Kostyuk’s serve five times and hit 32 winners in the match.
The 27-year-old from Leicester was ecstatic after clinching the title, which will boost her ranking to a career-high of 27th in the world. “I don’t know what just happened,” she said. “This week has been very, very special for so many different reasons. This one is pretty amazing, I’ve worked very hard for it, I played some incredible tennis all week.”
Boulter’s boyfriend flies in to support her
Boulter had a special surprise after the match, as her boyfriend, Australian tennis player Alex de Minaur, arrived to congratulate her. De Minaur had won his own title in Acapulco on Saturday night, and took an early-morning flight to be with Boulter in San Diego.
“I want to say a small special thank you to my boyfriend,” Boulter said. “He finished last night at midnight and I really want to embarrass him. He got on a 4.15 taxi this morning and six o’clock flight to be here today, so I do appreciate it.”
De Minaur and Boulter have been dating since last year, and have supported each other through their ups and downs on the tour. They have both enjoyed a successful start to the 2024 season, with De Minaur defending his title in Mexico and Boulter winning her first WTA 500 event.
Boulter’s breakthrough season continues
Boulter’s victory in San Diego is the latest milestone in her remarkable rise in the women’s game. She had won her first WTA Tour title in Nottingham last year, a WTA 250 event on grass. She also reached the quarter-finals of the Australian Open and the fourth round of Wimbledon in 2023, showing her versatility on different surfaces.
Boulter has been praised for her aggressive and powerful style of play, as well as her mental toughness and fighting spirit. She has also overcome several injuries and setbacks in her career, including a back problem that sidelined her for most of 2022.
Boulter has now established herself as a contender for the major titles, and will look to continue her momentum in the upcoming tournaments. She will also aim to represent Great Britain in the Fed Cup and the Olympics this year.
Kostyuk’s impressive run ends in disappointment
Kostyuk, the 21-year-old from Kiev, had a remarkable run in San Diego, where she upset several higher-ranked players to reach her first WTA 500 final. She defeated the top seed Jessica Pegula in the semi-finals, as well as the fourth seed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova and the ninth seed Veronika Kudermetova in the earlier rounds.
Kostyuk, who is ranked 35th in the world, displayed her talent and potential throughout the week, with her solid baseline game and impressive shot-making. She also showed her maturity and composure in tight situations, saving match points against Pavlyuchenkova and Kudermetova.
However, Kostyuk could not maintain her level in the final, as she struggled with her serve and made more errors than usual. She also seemed to lose confidence and energy as the match progressed, and could not match Boulter’s intensity and consistency.
Kostyuk, who won her maiden WTA Tour title in Austin last year, will still take away valuable experience and points from San Diego. She will also aim to improve her performance in the Grand Slams, where she has not gone past the third round yet.
