Year of illness ends in wild card for jubilant Wimbledon debutante
After fighting back to enter world’s top 300, Katie Boulter has her reward for sacrifice and dedication
THERE must have been moments during her year spent struggling with illness when Katie Boulter began to doubt whether she would ever play competitive tennis again.
But next week, in a testament to her grit and determination, the 20-year-old will step onto the courts of the All England Club for her Wimbledon debut.
Although she describes what she does simply as “travelling the world to hit a fuzzy yellow thing”, there’s no disguising both her relief and pride at being able to play again.
Boulter spent much of 2015 and early 2016 plagued by injury and illness – “nothing serious”, although it left her extremely tired – but she has managed to come back to this year break into the world’s top 300.
She has now been handed a wild card into the ladies singles and ladies doubles – given to players whose world ranking is not high enough to qualify automatically. Boulter has said the opportunity is a dream come true.
“I recently spent a year out of the game due to an illness. It was devastating watching the ranking I had built up plummet. Returning to the tour after a year out has been tough and I’m really proud of myself for fighting back. Stepping onto the courts at SW19 next week will make all the hard work worth it.”
Boulter, who is based in Leicestershire and was raised in the small village of Woodhouse Eaves, first picked up a racquet at the age of four and her early promise led her mother, Sue, to put her career as a tennis coach on hold to support her. By the age of eight, Katie was representing Britain.
“Even though she’s not my coach now, she’s definitely my number one fan and will be supporting me next week,” said Boulter.
“Looking back on it, I’m really not sure how we did it, but it was very much a family effort. My mum would drive me to practice before or after school and my grandpa Brian would drive me across the country from match to match at the weekends.”
Boulter is ranked 235th in the world and has won two singles and four doubles titles on the International Tennis Federation Tour during her career.
Her first-round match at Wimbledon will be against the American Christina Mchale, who is ranked world number 59 and has earned more than £2.4million in prize money during her career, compared to Boulter’s £48,000.
Back home in Leicestershire, they will be glued to their televisions as their local girl steps onto the court. Gwen Byrom, the head teacher at Boulter’s former school, Loughborough High, said: “We’re very proud of Katie’s success and we’re very much looking forward to following her progress at Wimbledon.”
Boulter is close to her brother James, an entrepreneur who has appeared on Made in Chelsea, and describes her grandfather Brian as her hero, saying she gets her work ethic from him.
But spending so many months on the road makes keeping up with family and friends difficult for her, and there’s little time for romance. “Social media has made things a little easier, but not having a social life is one of the largest sacrifices I’ve had to make,” she said.
She hopes that the years of sacrifice and self-denial might be about to bear fruit, now that she’s about to step onto the most famous grass courts in the world. “It means the world for me to play at Wimbledon considering the challenges and sacrifices I’ve had to make to get here,” she said. “I’m just savouring each moment and having the best time of my life.”