Tennis: Katie Boulter Secures Career-High Ranking with San Diego Open Victory
British No. 1 Katie Boulter has won her first WTA 500 title, defeating Marta Kostyuk in the San Diego Open final with a score card of 5-7, 6-2, 6-2. She is now ranked 27th in the world, the highest ranking of her career so far.
The Match:
Boulter, 27, recovered from 5-2 down in the first set to level at 5-5 after saving five set points, only to see Kostyuk snatch the set after a double fault from the Briton. However, Boulter's dominating play in the second set forced a decider, where she broke serve twice and served out the match with two aces and a forehand winner on the final point.
Expressing her surprise at the victory, Boulter stated, "I don't know what just happened. 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. Today was a complete battle, with myself as well, because I was a little bit nervous. But I managed to get over the line, and that I'm very proud of."
What Does This Mean For Boulter?
This win not only marks Boulter claiming the trophy at the San Diego Open, but also sees her pushed into the list of the top 30 players in the world for the first time after rising 99 places since winning the WTA 250 Nottingham Open in June 2023. The win at the Open is yet another continuation of Boulter’s impressive 2024 season, which has seen her win 11 of her past 14 matches, with seven of those wins against players ranked in the top 40 in the world. She is the ninth British woman to secure a WTA title in the USA.
Boulter celebrated her victory with boyfriend and fellow tennis player Alex de Minaur, who flew in from Acapulco after successfully retaining his title at the Mexico Open on Saturday. However, there is little time for them to celebrate as both Boulter and de Minaur are set to return to the court for the WTA 1000 BNP Paribas Open, with qualifying already underway.
