Demon and Katie: life on and off the court for Australia and Britain’s No.1 pairing

Alex de Minaur has experienced the spotlight at his home grand slam, but the Australian No.1 could scarcely believe the new level of interest from his relationship with British No.1 Katie Boulter.

Alex de Minaur has experienced what it is like to be under the spotlight at his home grand slam, but the Australian No.1 could scarcely believe his eyes when he opened the curtains of his rented house in Wimbledon last year. His relationship with British No.1 Katie Boulter had attracted a level of interest completely alien to this unassuming 25-year-old.

“It was quite eye-opening to realise the level of eyeballs that are on her during that time of the year,” De Minaur recalls. “It was just the amount of attention that surrounded her as British No 1.

“It was my first actual interaction in which we had paparazzi staking outside our house where we were staying in Wimbledon, which I thought was quite crazy. Then they were following us when we went out to just enjoy a day around London.”

Britain's Katie Boulter and on- and off-court partner Australia's Alex de Minaur play mixed doubles at The All England Tennis Club in Wimbledon last year. Picture: Glyn Kirk/AFP

More camera lenses are anticipated in SW19 this summer after this popular tennis couple claimed a rare double in the sport this month. Boulter’s triumph at the San Diego Open came 24 hours after De Minaur had clinched the Mexican Open, prompting several tennis experts to cite this as the first occasion in which girlfriend and boyfriend had won singles titles in the same week since Kim Clijsters and Lleyton Hewitt at Indian Wells in 2003. Going further back in the records, the most famous couple double was the triumph of both Chris Evert and Jimmy Connors at Wimbledon in 1974.

Some may think it a media concoction to suggest this love story is having an impact on the court, but Boulter and De Minaur both happily offered verification of this as they spoke. In sync, they are at new heights in their careers, with De Minaur now inside the world’s top 10 and Boulter at a projected personal best of No.27 in the world rankings after her run to the last 16 of the Miami Open, where she lost 7-5 6-1 to world No.1 Victoria Azarenka.

“We are both pushing each other to strive for bigger and better things,” De Minaur says. “It’s been amazing to watch, just to see her progression and playing the type of tennis that everyone knew she had.

Katie Boulter cheers on boyfriend Alex de Minaur against Italy’s Flavio Cobolli at the 2024 Australian Open. Picture: Tennis Australia/Rob Prezioso

“In the past she’s been unlucky with injuries and her body letting her down a little bit, but it’s amazing to see everything she’s been doing. Not only just getting her first title in a home tournament (at the Nottingham Open last summer) but stepping it up a level by winning her first WTA 500 event and putting herself in the top 30.

“I still believe she’s got a lot more in her and it’s just great to see all the improvements in how she’s playing.”

Interestingly, both insist they have inspired each other technically. Boulter is renowned for her powerful groundstrokes and De Minaur is highly regarded for his consistency from the baseline. These skills have gradually crept into each other’s games.

“Mentality wise we are very similar, but on the court we are completely different,” Boulter says. “I’ve always been the one who has been pretty relaxed and swings free. That is the way I play, whereas he’s been the person that will not miss a ball.

“Naturally I think that’s rubbing off on each of us. I look at his game and I think to myself, ‘Can I be a little bit more solid? Can I be the person that isn’t going to miss?’ He’s the same with swinging free on some of the big points and just going for it. He’s a very good influence on me and I think it’s starting to show.”

Alex de Minaur and Katie Boulter. Picture: Instagram

Although Boulter and De Minaur celebrated their fourth anniversary last week, they are still getting accustomed to travelling and staying together on the tour. This time last year Boulter was ranked outside the top 150 and contesting tournaments in far-flung locations on the lower tiers. Her subsequent rise into the top 100 has allowed the couple to spend more time with each other during the sport’s biggest events.

“It’s great,” De Minaur says. “I think we are both going to benefit a lot from this because when we’re with each other we are able to enjoy that calmness of being off the court, while also being able to support each other on the court.

“The biggest thing is that we can switch off, which is not easy at (a) tournament. We do everything we need to do on the court and, once we get off it, we get time to spend with each other and really switch off, so we can be mentally refreshed.”

With three wins against top 15 opposition this year, Boulter undoubtedly looks at home on the tour now. She has always been capable of establishing a place at the highest level and at last her body is co-operating after several injuries through the years, including a spinal stress fracture in 2019.

“This year has been different,” Boulter says. “You’re not having to graft (on the lower tiers) because you’re at the bigger tournaments, where the conditions are slightly better. You’re not changing balls all the time. There’s a lot more wear and tear on your body in the lower events. For me now it’s about the actual tennis and playing some of the stuff I know that I can. Physically week by week I’ve been holding up really well, so I think that’s been such a big encouragement.”

Former player Nicholas Monroe interviews Alex de Minaur and Katie Boulter ahead of last weekend’s Miami Open in Florida. Picture: Jason Koerner/Getty Images

Boulter and De Minaur were a popular attraction on the outside courts of Wimbledon last year, when they teamed up in the mixed doubles and reached the second round. Another love match is in store this year if their respective singles schedules allow.

“Honestly it’s probably the most fun I’ve had on a tennis court in a competitive match,” De Minaur says. “We have just got to see how the body’s feeling coming into that grass-court swing because singles is both of our priorities.

“If we’ve played a lot of tennis going in, and we’re a little bit tired and fatigued, we probably would want to have all the energy we have focused on the singles. But it’s definitely something I would love to do again.”

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