Katie Boulter says being a tennis star positively has a damaging aspect to it because the three-time WTA champion is well-recognizable and as soon as even obtained a message from somebody telling her he was exterior and ready for her to hurt her.
For the previous yr and a half, the world No. 24 has been the highest-ranked British feminine tennis participant. This yr, she loved her career-best season after touchdown two titles on the WTA 500 event in San Diego and in addition efficiently defending her trophy on the grass courts of Nottingham.
Nonetheless, not all the pieces has been excellent about Boulter’s rise and newfound fame. Through the ATP event on the Queen’s Membership – the place Alex de Minaur was taking part in – she went to select up her Australian boyfriend when she realized that they have been being adopted by somebody. It was a scary expertise however fortuitously it solely ended there.
“Folks have adopted me at occasions. I truly went to go and decide up Alex from Queens, and I had somebody observe me within the automobile. We went to Sloane Sq., bought out, went for a stroll across the outlets and stuff and the identical automobile was following me house. I used to be with Alex, so it was completely fantastic, however yeah, it wasn’t the perfect feeling,” Boulter told The Guardian.
Boulter: Someone nearby messaged me threatening to hurt me…
In each of the past four years, the British tennis star competed at the WTA 250 tournament in Nottingham and won back-to-back titles there in 2023 and 2024. But while Nottingham has been her most successful tournament, that was also the place where she probably had the most frightening experience of her tennis career.
During one of her campaigns in Nottingham. Boulter received a message from someone who claimed he was nearby and ready to hurt her. The 28-year-old instantly alerted the WTA, who did all the right steps to help the former world No. 23.
While revealing that story, the Briton noted that the WTA does an outstanding job when it comes to protecting players.
“One time in Nottingham, I had someone messaging me on social media saying: ‘I’m outside. I’m going to hurt you if you come outside.’ Obviously I alerted the WTA, and they found the guy, who was actually on site. Things like this happen all the time. Obviously we are very well protected, which makes you feel safe. The WTA does a great job of being there for you with that. I do feel like we are protected as much as possible, which at least puts your mind at ease a little bit,” Boulter shared.
Katie Boulter© Katie Boulter/Instagram – Honest Use
Boulter reacts to Danielle Collins’ comparable story
In July, world No. 11 Collins claimed that there have been a number of situations throughout tournaments when she was being stalked by somebody. And realizing that somebody was in all probability following her with the intention of getting nearer to her was a scary realization for the 2022 Australian Open runner-up.
As a response, the 30-year-old grew to become very cautious and conscious of her environment at any time when at a observe courtroom or on web site of a event. Additionally, she determined to not put up a lot on social media as a result of she would not need somebody to know her actual location.
“I’ve needed to be very vigilant and cautious about how I conduct my life, to verify I’m secure. I believe generally that has come throughout to followers as being withdrawn, distant, however the actuality is that generally I’ve needed to be extra cautious about what I say and do as a result of I don’t need sure individuals realizing the place I’m, what I’m doing or patterns in my day-to-day life,” Collins told The Telegraph.
“That’s an important thing to highlight, because to other people it can be perceived as she doesn’t post often or she’s not very friendly, she doesn’t interact with fans or other players. But it’s like, ‘No, I don’t seem to interact with other players because I don’t want someone who’s been stalking me to go through who I’m friends with and then calling them at work – because that’s happened.'”
When requested concerning the Collins case, Boulter confirmed that stuff like that certainly occurs.
“It’s one thing that I’ve at all times thought of. Us as girls, if we’re house alone at night time, generally we do take into consideration these issues,” the Briton mentioned.
A few years in the past – after Emma Raducanu received the US Open and made all of the headlines throughout British tabloids and papers – a stalker by some means discovered the placement of her home and stalked the Briton for a while. Finally, he was caught by the authorities and given a five-year restraining order.
