AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 16, 2026

Katie Boulter

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Katie, welcome back to Melbourne. You started the year in Auckland. How has your preparation been since then?

KATIE BOULTER: Yeah, I'm really enjoying being here in Melbourne. As you know, it's one of my favorite places. I really like it here.

I feel like Auckland was a good test for me. It's always great to start winning a match and then playing a good match against Elina. I feel like my level is kind of there and thereabouts.

It's now just about getting a few more matches and getting comfortable. I feel like I'm kind of gaining that on a daily basis. Yeah, it's a long year ahead, so no rush.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. I haven't seen you since your coaching change. Tell us about that and your new setup.

KATIE BOULTER: Yeah, I started working with Michael Joyce at the end of last year. Personally I always really liked him. I thought he's done a really good job with a lot of other players... Jessi, Ashlyn.

I feel like he's been around a long time on tour. He's someone that I didn't really get to know that much until I spent time with him on court, and I really like his style.

I feel like it's going well at the moment. So yeah, I think we're all quite calm, which really helps because I've got that energy around me, which is important for me as a tennis player. Yeah, I think everything is going well, and just really looking to build on what we've started.

Q. What was the process like of finding a new coach over the past few months?

KATIE BOULTER: Yeah, I mean, obviously with a lot of help from Dino as well and a few people kind of giving me ideas. Funny enough, I noticed that he stopped with Ashlyn, or what have you, at the end of last year. I noticed that, and I actually thought to myself that he would maybe be a really good match for me. It just so happened that he was keen when we happened to ask.

Actually reasonably quite easy, actually. I mean, it's not been too hard. I haven't trialed loads of coaches. I just felt very comfortable instantly, so I think that's a really good sign early on.

Q. To follow up on that, what did you think would make you a good match with him?

KATIE BOULTER: Yeah, that's a great question, because I've obviously not had many coaches in my career. I think I've had obviously quite a few when I was younger, but in my immediate pro career it's really been two. It's been Jeremy, and it's been Biljana. I think they've both come through the LTA, and I've always been around them.

I think Michael worked with Johanna Konta quite a few years ago, and I actually think that's the first time I may have met him when I practiced with Joe. Yeah, I thought he was a really good guy.

Yeah, it's an interesting one, because going out and finding a coach yourself isn't a process that I'm used to. It feels like because you don't know anyone, you sort of see them on a daily basis, but you don't know what they're like as a coach.

You kind of just have to trust your instincts and gut feeling on it. I think that that kind of matched up pretty well.

Q. Obviously you were on the cusp of the main draw and then got in kind of right before qualifying. I just wonder, what was that like, and when did you actually find out you were in?

KATIE BOULTER: I mean, Saturday and Sunday were pretty stressful, to be completely honest. Look, I'm not precious about playing quallies. I have no problem at all going out there and competing. If that's where I'm at, that's not an issue.

So I kind of had my headset on playing quallies more than anything, and I was prepared to play. But obviously when you are one out, you start thinking, right? You start hearing things on tour about who may or may not be coming. It's a very difficult situation to be in at that point.

I just did my best to kind of focus on what I was doing, trying not to think too much about whether I was going to get in or out and just preparing for the Monday. I think I did a pretty good job of that, but don't get me wrong, it's been pretty stressful.

Q. When did you actually find out you're in?

KATIE BOULTER: I found out literally after the draw came out around 5:00. Dino texted me saying that someone pulled out.

But yeah, we had obviously seen that. Maybe there were a few rumors of it in the press, which probably made it a little harder for me, because naturally everyone was, like, oh, you're in, and I wasn't. I think that was a pretty tough day in terms of just trying to keep straight and not think too much. Yeah, I mean, it work out eventually.

Q. 5:00 p.m. Sunday?

KATIE BOULTER: Yeah.

Q. At what point towards the end of last year do you start thinking about am I going to be in the main draw, am I going to be within the cut? Then November I believe you were also having to weigh up whether you might play another tournament to give yourself a chance of pushing up a little?

KATIE BOULTER: Yeah, this is something that I really think that I think the WTA can maybe help out a little bit more on. I think I noticed that the ATP have a final cut for the first time, was it, this year on a certain date. I feel like the WTA should maybe follow that, because I'm kind of there middle of my preseason wondering whether I should be going to play, because other people are playing.

I think that's quite unsettling. It also really doesn't give a chance for the players to get a proper preseason in.

Honestly, it can just result in more injuries. If you keep chasing and you keep chasing and you are just trying to search for a main draw, it is hard. It's a position I don't really want to be in. Ultimately if that's where I was at, I'm okay with it, because I didn't really have any other choice.

Obviously getting an injury at the end of last year didn't help me in that aspect, because I felt like even during Tokyo, having qualified, I played great, but unfortunately, that's when the injury came, at the end of quallies.

Yeah, it is a rule I would like to see changed, because personally, I don't think any player should be in the position that they're in the middle of a preseason trying to go to another tournament.

So yeah, it wasn't easy, no.

Q. You get in the draw, and then you get Bencic. Not easy.

KATIE BOULTER: No easy matches here. Definitely no easy matches. Look, I mean, she's clearly coming in with a lot of form. She's won a lot of matches already. She played great end of last year.

What she's doing is so inspiring as well, having come back from having a child. The level that she's playing at is one of the best in the world, clearly.

At the end of the day, I think for me it's another opportunity. I'm just going to go out and swing. You know, I really don't think there's any pressure. I don't think there's anyone in this room that thinks I'm going to win that match.

So again, I'm excited for it. I'm super happy to get a tough draw as well, because I think I can kind of show what I can do on the day. If not, we go back to work.

As I said, it's a long year already. It's obviously the start of the year. I want to start well, but I'm very well aware that there's a lot of tournaments to be playing. I'm only just starting.

I see this as like a full reset for me last year. I see it as I'm starting again. I think I want to really build on that this year. I'm not expecting miracles this week. I'm not expecting miracles next week. It's going to be a process. Having a new coach, you're kind of sorting out what you're doing on a daily basis. It's also different.

Yeah, I think for me I'm excited at the prospect of having a go at a top player.

Q. We believe in you, Katie.

KATIE BOULTER: Thanks. That's very kind of you.

Q. I liked your Instagram post at the start of the year, "Don't let the door hit you on the way out."

KATIE BOULTER: That was nice.

Q. I'm curious, how easy was it to just accept and let go of the fact that the results didn't always go your way? Obviously you had injuries as well. Just kind of turned the page on last year.

KATIE BOULTER: Yeah, seeing January 1st, 2026, was a good start. I mean, it felt good to kind of enter a new year. I mean, I've said this already like 100 times this year. I'm getting married this year. It's going to be an unbelievable year, one of the best ones in my life, no matter what happens on the tennis court. I think for me that's already given me a positive push.

Yeah, I feel like having a new coach, having a new setup, everything is kind of fresh and exciting again. Whereas I feel like I was dragging my feet a little bit at the end of last year just trying to get through the whole entire year without injuries.

Yeah, just trying to get to the start of the new year. I feel like I was very excited when we hit that point, and it was a new year. I really feel like we put in a good preseason. Obviously making the choice not to play that tournament ended up being good, because I got in. But yeah, I feel like I put some good work in, so that was the main thing.

Q. How are the plans going, and how do you find balance between the organization of that and your career?

KATIE BOULTER: Honestly we've done absolutely nothing in about a year and two months. Like absolutely nothing (laughing). We've got a date. We've got a venue. Then the rest will hopefully take care of itself.

I wouldn't say we're the most organized of couples. I would say we're kind of going with the flow, hoping everything works itself out, and we'll turn up and say "I do" hopefully, and that's it.

Q. Do you have a wedding planner?

KATIE BOULTER: Yeah, we have. Someone is helping us, thank goodness, because we don't have any time to sort things and make decisions. Yeah, it's a little bit much.

Of course I want to be someone who is in that process as well, because I do think it's something that will only happen once in my life. Yeah, it's an exciting time as well.

Yeah, I want to be a part of it, and I want to put my own stamp on it at the same time. Yeah, it's going to be a great year.

Q. Would it not be as good if you planned it yourself?

KATIE BOULTER: If I planned it? No, I think it would be great. I would love to plan it. I just don't have any time. Like, I really don't.

I think even just getting a decision out of us is pretty tough to do. I mean, as Dino knows, he doesn't barely get a text back from me, because I'm awful at trying to sort things out.

Yeah, planning a wedding is tough. It's not that easy to sort things out, but I know it's going to be perfect no matter what happens on the day. If something goes wrong, it's fine. It's going to be the best day.