Katie Boulter Foregoes Wedding Ring During Matches Unlike Andy Murray
Andy Murray has been a longstanding icon in British tennis, but newlywed Katie Boulter has decided to take a different approach when it comes to safeguarding her wedding ring. The three-time Grand Slam champion, who wed Kim in 2015, once famously lost his wedding band while it was attached to his shoelaces during a practice session.
After leaving his trainers—complete with the ring tied on them—under a car to dry in California in 2021, Murray later discovered they were missing. After making an appeal for their return, he was eventually reunited with both.
Boulter, who married Australia’s world number seven Alex de Minaur this summer, stated she will not repeat Murray’s mistake. “I learned from Andy. I’m not going to do that,” the 30-year-old said. “I don’t wear it. Not during matches.”
The couple exchanged vows in a small ceremony in England before celebrating with a larger gathering in Tuscany, Italy, in July.
In an interview with BBC Radio 5 Live, Boulter described the intimate nature of their UK wedding, saying, “It was like eight people – very, very small, very much for my grandpa.” She contrasted this with the Italian celebration, which included all their close friends and felt “a little bit more of a party and a lot of fun.”
However, when it came to De Minaur’s speech, Boulter expressed some skepticism. “I hadn’t seen him do any preparation for the speech at all. And he was like, ‘I’m just going to wing it. It’s fine. How hard can it be?'” she recalled. “He was amazing. He was so good. I was crying the whole time. I think I permanently cried for like three hours straight during all the speeches.”
Since the wedding, Boulter has swiftly returned to the court as she prepares for the US Open, which begins on Sunday. “I actually just chose to go straight back into the conditions, go into the deep end and see what we’ve got,” Boulter commented, noting her recent challenges in Washington and Toronto followed by a second-round exit in Cincinnati.
“I do think the conditions in the States are very different from the UK. I think you can’t really replicate them,” she added.
Boulter’s journey in the US Open will start with a first-round match against American wildcard Carol Young Suh Lee, who is ranked 143rd globally.
Four British Players Advance to Main Draw at US Open
Toby Samuel made his main draw Grand Slam debut at the French Open earlier this year [Getty Images]
In a noteworthy achievement, four British players have successfully qualified for the main draw at the US Open. Fran Jones, Harriet Dart, and Harry Wendelken all clinched victory in their final qualifying matches on Friday, while Toby Samuel advanced the day before after his opponent, Cristian Garin from Chile, retired due to a lengthy rain delay.
The group of four will join fellow British players Arthur Fery, Cameron Norrie, Jan Choinski, and Boulter in the main draws.
Wendelken marked his first appearance in the main draw at an overseas Grand Slam, triumphing over Lithuania’s Vilius Gaubas with a score of 6-7 (3-7) 7-6 (7-5) 7-6 (10-5).
Jones earned her place with a straightforward win of 6-4 6-1 against Taiwan’s Joanna Garland, qualifying for the second consecutive year.
However, both Heather Watson and Jacob Fearnley fell short, each losing their final qualifying matches despite holding a one-set lead. Watson aimed to reach the US Open singles main draw for the first time in five years, but Dart rallied back to win 2-6 6-4 6-1. Fearnley was defeated 4-6 6-4 6-4 by Austria’s Jurij Rodionov after a rain-affected match spanning Thursday and Friday.
This milestone is the first time that four British players have advanced from qualifying at an overseas Grand Slam since the Australian Open in 1988.
Andy Murray has long been a guiding figure for British tennis, but newly-married Katie Boulter will not be following his lead when it comes to keeping her wedding ring safe.
Three-time Grand Slam champion Murray, who married wife Kim in 2015, famously briefly lost his wedding band after playing with it tied to his shoe laces.
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Murray had left his trainers – with the ring still attached – under a car to dry out after a practice session in California in 2021, and after discovering they were missing the next day, was eventually reunited with both after putting out an appeal for their return.
Boulter, who married Australia’s world number seven Alex de Minaur this summer, said she will not be making the same mistake.
“I learned from Andy. I’m not going to do that,” the 30-year-old said. “I don’t wear it. Not during matches.”
Boulter and De Minaur tied the knot at a small, private ceremony in England before holding a bigger celebration in Tuscany, Italy, in July.
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Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live, Boulter said: “One was in the UK for my nearest and dearest. It was like eight people – very, very small, very much for my grandpa.
“It was a huge contrast to the Italian wedding, which had all of our closest people, all of our friends, and was a little bit more of a party and a lot of fun.”
When it came to De Minaur’s speech, however, Boulter admitted she was “sceptical”.
“I hadn’t seen him do any preparation for the speech at all. And he was like, ‘I’m just going to wing it. It’s fine. How hard can it be?’,” she said.
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“He was amazing. He was so, good. I was crying the whole time. I think I permanently cried for like three hours straight during all the speeches.”
Since their wedding, the world number 60 has wasted no time in throwing herself back into tennis before the US Open, which gets under way on Sunday.
“I actually just chose to go straight back into the conditions, go into the deep end and see what we’ve got,” said Boulter, who lost in the first round in Washington and Toronto before suffering a second-round exit in Cincinnati.
“I do think the conditions in the States are very different from the UK. I think you can’t really replicate them.
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“So I felt like I’d be a little underprepared coming to the US and just getting used to the conditions again would have been quite difficult.”
Boulter’s US Open begins with a first-round encounter against American wildcard Carol Young Suh Lee, who is ranked 143rd in the world.
Four British players qualify for main draw at US Open
Toby Samuel made his main draw Grand Slam debut at the French Open earlier this year [Getty Images]
A record four British players have made it through qualifying to reach the main draw at the US Open.
Fran Jones, Harriet Dart and Harry Wendelken all won their third and final qualifying matches on Friday, while Toby Samuel advanced on Thursday after his opponent, Chile’s Cristian Garin, retired during a lengthy rain delay.
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The quartet will join fellow Britons Arthur Fery, Cameron Norrie, Jan Choinski and Boulter in the main draws.
Wendelken earned his first appearance in the main draw at an overseas Grand Slam as he fought back to beat Lithuania’s Vilius Gaubas 6-7 (3-7) 7-6 (7-5) 7-6 (10-5).
Jones, meanwhile, claimed a straightforward 6-4 6-1 win over Taiwan’s Joanna Garland to qualify for a second successive year.
However, Heather Watson and Jacob Fearnley will miss out as they both let slip a one-set lead and lost their final matches in qualifying.
Watson was bidding to make her first US Open singles main-draw appearance in five years, but compatriot Dart fought back from a set and a break down to win 2-6 6-4 6-1.
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Fearnley, meanwhile, lost 4-6 6-4 6-4 to Austria’s Jurij Rodionov following a rain-disrupted display that stretched across Thursday and Friday.
It is the first time that four British players have progressed from qualifying at an overseas Grand Slam since the Australian Open of 1988.
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