Katie Boulter was ‘nervous and stressed’ as golden chance slipped by
Katie Boulter was weighed down by expectations as she struggled to play her best tennis at the Australian Open, according to former British No 1 Laura Robson.
Boulter was seeded for the first time at last month’s Australian Open and she appeared to have a good draw ahead of a second round match against Veronika Kudermetova.
Yet an error-strewn display contributed to a 7-6(7-3) 2-6 6-2 defeat, with Boulter in a philosophical mood after the match.
“I pride myself on every single week I go out and put everything I have on the court,” said Boulter.
“I felt like today I didn’t quite get there. Obviously, losing a match like that hurts, but I’m someone that’s going to keep showing up.
“Of course, I want to have a run in a Grand Slam but, ultimately, I do feel like that will come. It’s just a matter of time.
“My level, when I think back to it over these last three weeks, has been above my normal level for a long period of time now. If I keep putting that in every single day, then I know I’m going to have my moment.
“Whether it’s today, whether it’s in a year, whether it’s the end of this year, whether it’s the middle of the year, I cannot tell you.”
Now Robson has suggested the pressure and hype around Boulter’s appearance in Melbourne was a factor in her below-par display.
Boulter announced her engagement to Australian No 1 Alex de Minaur shortly before the Australian Open, ensuring the spotlight was firmly on the British No 1 as she took to the court in Melbourne and Robson believes that was a factor in her defeat.
“I was chatting to her after she lost her match in Australia, which on paper was a match she should have won,” said Sky Sports Tennis analyst Robson.
“Being the higher-ranked player out there just put so much pressure on her. You want to go out on court feeling happy about how you are playing and relaxed, but it was the complete opposite [for Boulter].
“From the first point, she was playing within herself. She was really nervous and stressed and just couldn’t play her best tennis with everything else going on in her head. She will be the first person to admit that.
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“You build it up in your head and hope that this is the big result you have been waiting for, but then it just doesn’t happen.
“This is something she has been working on for a few years and one of the main reasons why she is ranked where she is because she has managed to turn this side of her game around.
“But she would have been really disappointed after Australia and will use it to spur her on for the next few months.”
Boulter has yet to get beyond the third round at a Grand Slam and even though she has broken into the top 30 of the WTA Rankings and stayed there for more than a year, success in one of the four big tournaments in tennis has to be her next goal.
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