British No.1 Katie Boulter has issued the perfect response to her position coming under threat from Emma Raducanu. On Tuesday, she notched the first WTA clay-court win of her career after fighting back to beat Czech opponent Katerina Siniakova 4-6 6-2 6-1.
The 28-year-old had been plagued by a foot injury this season. She was out of action for six weeks following the Australian Open in January, and has played just five tournaments in 2024. The lack of action has seen her drop to 40th in the WTA rankings, having been as high as 23 in November.
As a result, her status as Britain’s best female player is in danger. Raducanu has risen back up to No.49 after her quarter-final appearance at the Miami Open, where she went down in three sets against Jessica Pegula.
The 2021 US Open champion is also in Madrid and will open up her campaign against Suzan Lamens tomorrow (Wednesday). She’s not the only threat to Boulter, with another UK player, Sonay Kartel, now 60th in the rankings.
However, before the tournament in the Spanish capital, Boulter insisted she wasn’t affected by the prospect of Raducanu or Kartel overtaking her. She’s held the position since June 2023, and argued she didn’t need to be compared to other stars.
When asked about the situation, she said, “I don’t feel any pressure at all. I’m very comfortable in my seat, and I know that every single person has a different journey.
“My journey is not going to be compared to anyone else’s. I’m proud of that. I’ve been the British No.1 for two years, it’s been a fair while now. It’s something which I’m quite used to.”
Boulter will be in the French Open main draw for the second time in her career next month. Her only previous match at Roland Garros was a first-round defeat to Paula Badosa last year.
