British star Katie Boulter has shared a disturbing account of being followed by a stalker, shedding light on the risks faced by public figures, particularly women, in today’s world.
Boulter, who has had a remarkable rise in her career this year, spoke candidly about the unsettling experience during an interview with The Guardian.
She described an incident in which a car followed her while she was picking up her boyfriend, Australian tennis player Alex de Minaur, from Queen’s Club in London.
Boulter said that the stalker trailed them to Sloane Square, watching them as they walked around, before the continuing to following her car all the way home.
‘People have followed me at times,’ Boulter says. ‘I actually went to go and pick up Alex [de Minaur, her boyfriend and fellow tennis player] from Queens, and I had someone follow me
‘We went to Sloane Square, got out, went for a walk around the shops and stuff and the same car was following me home.’
British star Katie Boulter has shared a disturbing account of being followed by a stalker, shedding light on the risks faced by public figures, particularly women, in today’s world
Boulter, who has had a remarkable rise in her career this year, spoke candidly about the unsettling experience during an interview with The Guardian
Boulter referenced similar incidents involving her colleagues, such as Emma Raducanu, whose stalker was recently given a restraining order after showing up at her family home multiple times
Boulter said it was unsettling but explained how De Minaur’s presence helped her feel more secure: ‘I was with Alex, so it was absolutely fine, but yeah, it wasn’t the best feeling.’
Boulter reflected on the universal nature of these fears, saying, ‘It’s something that I’ve always thought about [ being a women].’
The 28-year-old star went on to add: ‘Us as women, if we’re home alone at night, sometimes we do think about those things.’
While she spoke of her experience matter-of-factly, the implications are far-reaching, particularly given the heightened visibility that comes with her status as an athlete.
Boulter’s success on the court has been nothing short of remarkable in 2024. After winning her first WTA title at the Nottingham Open, she broke into the top 30 in the WTA rankings and became a mainstay in the later rounds of major tournaments.
At Wimbledon, her spirited performances captivated the home crowd, and her run to the third round at the US Open solidified her place among the sport’s rising stars
However, this growing prominence has also brought unwanted attention. Stalking and harassment have become increasingly common issues for female athletes.
Boulter referenced similar incidents involving her colleagues, such as Emma Raducanu, who was stalked and the perpetrator was recently given a restraining order after showing up at her family home multiple times.
Boulter referenced similar incidents involving her colleagues, such as Emma Raducanu, whose stalker was recently given a restraining order after showing up at her family home multiple times.
She also mentioned American tennis player Danielle Collins, who revealed her own experiences of being stalked earlier this year.
Boulter commented on the unfortunate reality of such incidents, saying, ‘It happens to all of us; it’s part of life when you’re in the public eye a little bit.’
Despite these challenges, Boulter remains focused on her career.
Known for her powerful baseline game and fierce competitiveness, she credits her success to years of hard work and the unwavering support of her team.
Meanwhile, Alex de Minaur has wrapped up his landmark year with one last illuminating and lucrative triumph in an all-singing, all-dancing rock ‘n’ roll version of the sport at the Ultimate Tennis Showdown (UTS) grand final in London.
Played in front of a noisy full-house at the old Olympic “Copper Box” venue in east London with lights flashing and music blasting out, “The Demon” seemed inspired to deliver some of his best stuff as he defeated Danish star Holger Rune in the final of the eight-man tournament on Sunday.
Played over four eight-minute quarters with only one serve per point and barely any time between points, de Minaur appeared to thrive in this manically abbreviated, unashamedly youth-oriented version of the game as he won all five of his matches over three days.
Swearing that the format, packed with pressure points, was perfect to help him in his preparations for the Australian Open in the new year, he may also have had his head somewhat turned by earning a small fortune for his week’s work – total prize money of £625,000 ($A1.2 million).
Over the three days, de Minaur had beaten Rune 3-1, Jan-Lennard Struff 3-1 and Alexander Bublik 3-1 in the group stages, before defeating veteran Gael Monfils 3-1 in Sunday’s semi-final, before an even more conclusive 3-0 win (13-8, 14-11, 16-10) over the Dane in the showdown.
‘It definitely has been the best season yet, but I don’t think it’s going to be the best season of my career,’ de Minaur told the crowd.
‘So I want to keep on improving. I want to keep on getting better, and use everything that I learned this year to put it towards 2025, and hopefully bigger and better things.’
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