- Boulter defeated the ninth-seeded player 6-2, 3-6, 6-4 to earn a matchup against Solana Sierra.
- She also ended a streak of eight consecutive losses against top-10 opponents.
- WIN WIMBLEDON ENTRIES in special M+ contest together with Emirates
Brimming with a strong sense of "juju" from Centre Court flowing within her,
Katie Boulter
Defeated ninth-seeded player
Upset against number nine seed
Ousted the No. 9 seeded athlete
Beaten the ninth-ranked contender
Knocked off the No 9 seed
Brought down the number nine seed
Sent the top-nine competitor packing
Toppled the No. 9 ranked opponent
Paula Badosa
to snap a run of eight straight defeats by top 10 players.
The 27-year-old may not boast an impressive record against top-tier opponents, but she recalled a match from three years ago when she defeated the then sixth-seeded player. Karolina Pliskova and that helped drive her through.
'I beat Pliskova on this court and the moment I stepped out here it reminded me of that day,' said Boulter after her 6-2, 3-6, 6-4 win.
'This court is what every child dreams about playing on and winning on.'
These two had to wait much longer than anticipated because of Carlos Alcaraz Boulter secured a hard-fought victory lasting five hours against Fabio Fognini in the opening match of the day. During the initial set, fewer than half the seats were occupied as spectators seemed to take a break from the scorching heat. However, when the match concluded amid fading light, Center Court had filled up nicely, buzzing with energetic support as fans cheered loudly for Boulter’s triumph.
The athletes wore matching Nike gear, complete with visors and lengthy ponytails. Standing at 5ft 11in each, they looked nearly identical, making it tough for an average observer to tell them apart—and even harder to identify which one was ranked ninth globally.
This victory marked a significant moment for Boulter, who reached World No. 23 last November and had expressed ambitions of breaking into the Top 10—but unfortunately regressed since then. Currently ranked 43rd, she arrived here after losing three-setters at Queen’s Club and in the Nottingham final. If she had allowed this match to slip away after winning the opening set, it would’ve dealt a devastating blow to her entire grass-court campaign.
I had absolutely no courage back then—I was totally petrified," said Boulter. "I’ve been part of many games lately where things went well at first but eventually slipped away.
I had a match like this before at Queen’s that really affected me, so all I could do was push through, battle hard, and wish for the best out there today. I kept chasing every ball and believing things might go my way—and they finally did! That makes me absolutely delighted.
This win sets up an appealing path for Boulter in the draw, as she will face 21-year-old Argentinian qualifier Solana Sierra in her second-round clash scheduled for Wednesday.
Following victories by Sonay Kartal and Emma Raducanu, Boulter secured another win, completing a perfect run for Britain’s leading trio of female players, all ranked within the world's top 50.
Our female wildcard entries had mixed fortunes, as Harriet Dart and the 16-year-old pair of Hannah Klugman and Mika Stojsavljevic suffered losses.
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