ROLAND GARROS

May 29, 2025

Katie Boulter

Press Conference

M. KEYS/K. Boulter

6-1, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Katie, just talk us through the experience of playing on Chatrier today and your thoughts on your match, the end result.

KATIE BOULTER: Yeah, really tough match. I felt like I was a little bit off the mark today. Granted, she was hitting the ball pretty clean. But I felt like I was just slightly off at the start. If I'd maybe gotten one of those breaks or held to go 2-All, it may have been a little bit easier for myself.

But ultimately I don't think my serve percentage was high enough today playing against a big hitter. That's crucial.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Is the frustration that Madison is obviously a top-class player, but you didn't test her as much as maybe you would have wanted to?

KATIE BOULTER: Yeah, I feel like I could have done better. I do. I think that's where I have to look at myself and talk to my team a little bit about where I can improve.

But I felt like I didn't have a great serving day. I think if you don't have a great serving day against someone like that, you're always under pressure on your own serve. I think almost every service game I hit a double-fault, which I've done that before and kind of bounced back. Against someone like that, with that caliber behind her, you just can't afford to do that.

I think that's where I was a little bit disappointed in my serving today. Maybe if I'd served a little bit better, I could have put some more pressure on her service games. I felt like at the very start I was doing that in the first two games, after that when I got broken, I didn't have much to look in.

That's the difference with these players. When they gain a little bit of confidence, they start swinging free a little bit more. Ultimately they're going to try to put you away as quickly as possible. They've got that number by their name for that reason. You've got to try to stay with them as much as possible. Unfortunately I let it go a little bit early today.

Q. Overall what are your thoughts on your clay season?

KATIE BOULTER: Yeah, I've definitely made progress. I think I'll probably see that tomorrow. But I can allude to now it a bit more.

Obviously I am very happy with the fact that I've played six matches, really good matches for me, here on the clay. I didn't do that last year. So I've got a lot more wins under my belt on this surface, which I still don't feel that comfortable on. That for me is progress. This is only my second clay season properly, so I am happy with the fact that I'm moving in the right direction.

As a competitor and someone who wants to be higher up the rankings and feel like I've got the opportunity to be there, I expect more from myself in situations like this today.

So yeah, obviously naturally I'm slightly disappointed. That's coming off the back of this match five minutes ago. I will go back and look at the positives at some point and see where I can improve my game and make it better.

But it's a huge step forward than last year.

Q. Do you think that players shouldn't play in the same color kit unless they are not playing Everton?

KATIE BOULTER: You can bring a home and away kit.

Personally for me, we do as Nike players, we have options. We can pick to use other kit. But obviously we both had the same taste. That kind of makes it difficult (smiling).

But yeah, I don't know. I think it would probably be easier for the fans. At the same time I kind of like the dress I was wearing today. She liked it. It is what it is.

Q. For the casual fans, other players, sometimes it can be easier. I remember a men's match earlier this season where they both had their hats backwards, same kit, you couldn't tell them apart.

KATIE BOULTER: Yeah, it could be introduced. It would probably make it easier. But yeah, I mean, obviously it's difficult. We do have options and we chose the same one. It's really difficult to have that conversation before a match or something like that.

Yeah, obviously I'm a little bit superstitious. I wore that for my first match, so I have to wear it for my second match. That's how I kind of personally operate, yeah.

Q. We asked a similar question to Emma yesterday. What do you feel like is the gap between you and those top players like Maddie? What are the things that you think you need to do to close that gap?

KATIE BOULTER: For me personally... Obviously Emma is very different, I don't want to speak for her. For me personally in my situation, I feel like I've gotten really close to a lot of these girls. Iga at the start of the year for me was a great match. Yeah, I've had a few run-ins with the top players before I beat Pegula, a top-10 player.

I feel like I'm getting closer. This is not for me on a grass court. I'm talking about a hard court here. Probably my second favorite surface.

I've been building a lot of momentum in terms of playing some of those top players. I do feel like I'm getting closer to them each day. But sometimes the matchups just don't work. The difference between I would say me and my ranking right now, and someone like a Maddie Keys today, is the fact that she's playing great tennis every single day. That is the difference between me.

I'm playing good tennis here and there. Some days are good, some days are bad. Today for me wasn't good enough. I have to be serving better and playing better. Yeah, she's a lot more consistent at it. That's why she's a Grand Slam champion, as well.

But yeah, I mean, for me, I feel like I am getting closer in some of these matches. I do think I'm getting there. I do think a lot of it is also based on matchup, which is, yeah, obviously very different between someone like me and Emma, for example. We're different kind of players.

Yeah, it's hard to speak for both of us.

Q. How do you find that consistency? How do you improve consistency?

KATIE BOULTER: I mean, for me, I felt like I was really gaining consistency a lot off the back of last year. I think I put in a really good pre-season this year. And sometimes other factors just stump that a little bit. For me, it's been my foot.

I think I have had that issue for a period of time. I had a reasonably serious injury that took me away from the game. I can't overlook that at all. That kind of stunted my momentum a little bit from the start of the year.

But I do feel like I'm getting it back. I do. I think day by day I've been putting the work in for a long period of time now. My pain level has been reducing massively. So that also kind of takes the stress and the worry of an injury out of my brain, as well, which is a lot easier to play tennis when your mind's clear and free.

So yeah, I'm getting there. It's just kind of having the consistency on the court with your body, playing every week, putting the work in, and eventually for me I do feel like it will come. I showed that last year. I played a full season for the first time in my career.

It makes a massive difference if you're not missing weeks.

Q. Alex said earlier about feeling burned out, he was talking about the there's too much tennis. What are your thought about that? Can you tell us about those feelings that he has, how much it mentally affects him.

KATIE BOULTER: What did he say? I actually don't know what he said.

Q. He said he feel as little burnt out. He also said basically there's too much tennis, it's such a long year.

KATIE BOULTER: Yeah, okay. I mean, I don't want to speak for him. I can talk from my own experiences.

I do think tennis can be quite taxing sometimes mentally and physically. I'm speaking for myself today. I'm in the second round of a Grand Slam. I played five matches the week before. I personally do feel tired.

I shouldn't be tired the second match of a Grand Slam. I should be fresh and I should be feeling amazing after two days off, as well.

Yeah, I do feel like I'm a little bit tired. A little bit mentally tired as well. It's probably the most tennis I've played this year so far.

Naturally I think it's an area I need to kind of freshen up on a little bit. Carrying a few niggles here and there is the first sign of that. Yeah, it's important to address them. Yeah, that's why we're taking a day off and getting myself fresh for the grass court season.