THE CHAMPIONSHIPS

June 30, 2025

Katie Boulter

Press Conference

K. BOULTER/P. Badosa

6-3, 3-6, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Katie, just start off, great win today. You must be feeling over the moon.

KATIE BOULTER: Yeah, really pleased with today. I feel like I've come into this slam the best possibly I could have been prepared. It's nice to see it actually pay off, because it could have easily switched that way. I just decided to go for it in the big moment, and it came out the right way, so I'm happy.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Where would that win rank amongst the best and biggest wins of your career?

KATIE BOULTER: I mean, it's certainly up there. It's certainly up there. I mean, Centre Court Wimbledon, as a Brit, against a top-10 player, for me doesn't get that much better.

It is one of the reasons why I do play tennis, to win matches like that, and to have a go at the best in the world. I do feel like it is one of the best ones for sure in my career.

I can't tell you it's the top one, because there's been a few, but it's definitely been top three.

Q. Overcoming adversity, playing really positively, it's more than just the win today, wasn't it?

KATIE BOULTER: It really is the little wins behind the scenes that people probably the don't really realize. I think a lot of people will look at today and go, Oh, that's a great result. But what people don't realize is that I've tried to play the way I want to play in that match.

Just like you said there, I took it to her. Actually I felt like I won the match rather than I relied on someone else's mistakes or something else. I feel like I went out, I committed to my game, I laid it on the line, I put my heart on the line, and I just went for it.

It's a struggle because I feel like the match in Queen's that I played in my second round, I got a little bit passive after I played a really good first set. That hurt me a lot, because I felt like I didn't play the way that I wanted to play.

I didn't commit to my shots. I just kind of hoped I could get a top 10 -- she wasn't top 10 at the time, but I hoped I would get a good win. You just don't get given those matches. You have to win them.

That kind of rung true today in my mind when I went down an early break in the third, and I said to myself, I'm just going to have to fight for it here and just go for it. It ultimately paid off.

So, yeah, I'm really pleased with the little wins of today, yeah.

Q. What would a good run this week, this fortnight, do for your career, if you can get to the third round, the fourth round for your profile, for your bank balance, just everything in this part of your career?

KATIE BOULTER: I think that's a Catch-22 question, because I'm here, I'm in the second round, and I've got someone who's going to play very well against me. It's going to be an absolute battle.

For me, I'm certainly not looking towards round three, round four. I'm looking at getting my body ready from today, enjoying the good moments from today, moving on and getting myself ready for a second round. I'm not necessarily going to look into the future. I think you can easily get caught up just after a good win.

For me, I'm going back to my process. I take every day at a time. I feel like I've been building for a while now, but I just haven't quite made it over the line. Today is the first step of that. I'm very well aware there's a lot more steps to take before I can call it the best week of my career.

Q. You had a long wait. It's been really hot today. Does that make this win even more sweeter in that respect?

KATIE BOULTER: Yeah, Carlos certainly didn't do us any favors today. I really feel for the guys out there battling. It was a long few hours, for sure (smiling). Not easy.

I think sometimes you just have to deal with it the best that you possibly can. You have to remember it's the same for both of us.

I kind of spent a lot of time with my team. I was quite calm. We did some massage, just looking after my body and things like that. I felt like I prepared the best that I could have.

The moment that I was ready to step onto the court, I felt very ready. I didn't feel lethargic or anything like that. So it's very easy after a long day to feel like that, and I didn't. So I think that was really good prep for us.

Q. You're one of the seven British winners through today. How does that feel to be part of that?

KATIE BOULTER: Yeah, I mean, what a great start. I have said this from day dot that I really do feel like there's a lot of British players who are coming through and can play some good tennis.

Sonay starting us off, what a great match. I actually watched a lot of it back home and on my way in. Really pleased to see her get through against a top player, because I know her level. Her level is great. I played her in Nottingham. It know that she's one of the better players.

Obviously it was a tough one to see Mimi have to play Emma in the first round, but a great win for Emma to start her campaign here.

Yeah, obviously the guys did great as well. I didn't get a chance to watch as much as I would have liked to have. Really nice to be a part of, and yeah, I hope we can really keep that moving forward.

Q. Eva Lys won her first match. You left a crown emoji.

KATIE BOULTER: She's a queen (smiling).

Q. What makes her worth that crown, in your opinion? Can you explain the appeal in her queen-ness?

KATIE BOULTER: What a great question. Favorite of the day, for sure (smiling).

Firstly, I'm a huge advocate for empowering women in general. I love the way that she gets behind women, in general. I think it's nice to see she's great friends with a lot of people on tour already, and she's barely been around. It's just the start of her career for her.

I think the impact that she's had already is really sweet to see. I think she's just very open and honest. I think she kind of says how she feels. I got to know her a little bit. I'd love to know her even more.

Area, she's a very sweet girl. I'm sure she'll be around for a long time.

Q. How is she sort of helping the other women around?

KATIE BOULTER: I think in general. I mean, I think it's just nice to see, she's always leaving positive comments, always giving you compliments. I think she's just very warmhearted. I think you can see that from her personality. That was my first impression of her. There's a lot of girls that feel the same way. You can kind of see it.

Yeah, I know she spends a lot of time with a lot of the girls, which is great to see. You don't see that much on the WTA Tour. I feel like she's always really positive, really nice, getting behind you.

6-3, 3-6, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Katie, just start off, great win today. You must be feeling over the moon.

KATIE BOULTER: Yeah, really pleased with today. I feel like I've come into this slam the best possibly I could have been prepared. It's nice to see it actually pay off, because it could have easily switched that way. I just decided to go for it in the big moment, and it came out the right way, so I'm happy.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Where would that win rank amongst the best and biggest wins of your career?

KATIE BOULTER: I mean, it's certainly up there. It's certainly up there. I mean, Centre Court Wimbledon, as a Brit, against a top-10 player, for me doesn't get that much better.

It is one of the reasons why I do play tennis, to win matches like that, and to have a go at the best in the world. I do feel like it is one of the best ones for sure in my career.

I can't tell you it's the top one, because there's been a few, but it's definitely been top three.

Q. Overcoming adversity, playing really positively, it's more than just the win today, wasn't it?

KATIE BOULTER: It really is the little wins behind the scenes that people probably the don't really realize. I think a lot of people will look at today and go, Oh, that's a great result. But what people don't realize is that I've tried to play the way I want to play in that match.

Just like you said there, I took it to her. Actually I felt like I won the match rather than I relied on someone else's mistakes or something else. I feel like I went out, I committed to my game, I laid it on the line, I put my heart on the line, and I just went for it.

It's a struggle because I feel like the match in Queen's that I played in my second round, I got a little bit passive after I played a really good first set. That hurt me a lot, because I felt like I didn't play the way that I wanted to play.

I didn't commit to my shots. I just kind of hoped I could get a top 10 -- she wasn't top 10 at the time, but I hoped I would get a good win. You just don't get given those matches. You have to win them.

That kind of rung true today in my mind when I went down an early break in the third, and I said to myself, I'm just going to have to fight for it here and just go for it. It ultimately paid off.

So, yeah, I'm really pleased with the little wins of today, yeah.

Q. What would a good run this week, this fortnight, do for your career, if you can get to the third round, the fourth round for your profile, for your bank balance, just everything in this part of your career?

KATIE BOULTER: I think that's a Catch-22 question, because I'm here, I'm in the second round, and I've got someone who's going to play very well against me. It's going to be an absolute battle.

For me, I'm certainly not looking towards round three, round four. I'm looking at getting my body ready from today, enjoying the good moments from today, moving on and getting myself ready for a second round. I'm not necessarily going to look into the future. I think you can easily get caught up just after a good win.

For me, I'm going back to my process. I take every day at a time. I feel like I've been building for a while now, but I just haven't quite made it over the line. Today is the first step of that. I'm very well aware there's a lot more steps to take before I can call it the best week of my career.

Q. You had a long wait. It's been really hot today. Does that make this win even more sweeter in that respect?

KATIE BOULTER: Yeah, Carlos certainly didn't do us any favors today. I really feel for the guys out there battling. It was a long few hours, for sure (smiling). Not easy.

I think sometimes you just have to deal with it the best that you possibly can. You have to remember it's the same for both of us.

I kind of spent a lot of time with my team. I was quite calm. We did some massage, just looking after my body and things like that. I felt like I prepared the best that I could have.

The moment that I was ready to step onto the court, I felt very ready. I didn't feel lethargic or anything like that. So it's very easy after a long day to feel like that, and I didn't. So I think that was really good prep for us.

Q. You're one of the seven British winners through today. How does that feel to be part of that?

KATIE BOULTER: Yeah, I mean, what a great start. I have said this from day dot that I really do feel like there's a lot of British players who are coming through and can play some good tennis.

Sonay starting us off, what a great match. I actually watched a lot of it back home and on my way in. Really pleased to see her get through against a top player, because I know her level. Her level is great. I played her in Nottingham. It know that she's one of the better players.

Obviously it was a tough one to see Mimi have to play Emma in the first round, but a great win for Emma to start her campaign here.

Yeah, obviously the guys did great as well. I didn't get a chance to watch as much as I would have liked to have. Really nice to be a part of, and yeah, I hope we can really keep that moving forward.

Q. Eva Lys won her first match. You left a crown emoji.

KATIE BOULTER: She's a queen (smiling).

Q. What makes her worth that crown, in your opinion? Can you explain the appeal in her queen-ness?

KATIE BOULTER: What a great question. Favorite of the day, for sure (smiling).

Firstly, I'm a huge advocate for empowering women in general. I love the way that she gets behind women, in general. I think it's nice to see she's great friends with a lot of people on tour already, and she's barely been around. It's just the start of her career for her.

I think the impact that she's had already is really sweet to see. I think she's just very open and honest. I think she kind of says how she feels. I got to know her a little bit. I'd love to know her even more.

Area, she's a very sweet girl. I'm sure she'll be around for a long time.

Q. How is she sort of helping the other women around?

KATIE BOULTER: I think in general. I mean, I think it's just nice to see, she's always leaving positive comments, always giving you compliments. I think she's just very warmhearted. I think you can see that from her personality. That was my first impression of her. There's a lot of girls that feel the same way. You can kind of see it.

Yeah, I know she spends a lot of time with a lot of the girls, which is great to see. You don't see that much on the WTA Tour. I feel like she's always really positive, really nice, getting behind you.