Katie Boulter reveals the advice Venus Williams gave her at the Madrid Open
Katie Boulter hit a career highlight when she paired with Venus Williams to play doubles at the Madrid Open earlier this year.
The British star was an unexpected partners for Williams, who has paired with the likes of Elina Svitolina, Leylah Fernandez, and Alexandra Eala this season.
Boulter and Williams reached the round of 16 of the Spanish Masters event, after defeating Xinyu Wang and Yifan Xu in their opening round match.
They were eventually beaten by Sofia Kenin and Su-Wei Hsieh, but it was one of the fondest memories of Boulter’s career so far.
In an interview with The Telegraph, explained how much of an influence Serena and Venus Williams had on her when she was a young tennis fan.
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“When I had the chance to play with Venus Williams at the Madrid Open in April – a dream come true – she was telling me all about her skincare regimen,” she said.
“Growing up, Venus and Serena were two of my biggest inspirations for tennis, both when it came to playing the sport itself and having a sense of style on the court.”
“I remember seeing Serena in completely different looks every single week – whether that would be wearing denim or a winged eyeliner that was tattooed on. It was influential for sure.”
Boulter then revealed a key piece of advice Venus gave her while they were playing doubles together at the Madrid Open, in reference to her upcoming wedding with fellow tennis star Alex de Minaur.
“Venus got married last year, and I’m getting married soon, so she was also giving me advice for my upcoming wedding. I’m keeping things a secret but we did talk about our venues, our bands and the details.
“She said she regretted playing tennis the week after her wedding, and encouraged me to take some time off to soak it all in,” she added.
Boulter and Alex de Minaur are set to get married this summer, but they have the small task of Wimbledon to get through first.
De Minaur has been drawn against Román Andrés Burruchaga in the first round of the Grand Slam, an Argentine who is playing his first Wimbledon main draw.
Boulter, meanwhile, has also received a kind draw, despite her lack of seeded entry. The British star will play qualifier Tyra Caterina Grant, who picked up her first WTA Tour-level win in Madrid earlier this year.
The Australian has previously reached the quarter-finals of Wimbledon, while Boulter’s best effort at her home Grand Slam is two third round appearances.
