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While the tennis world was focused on Center Court at Wimbledon on Sunday afternoon ahead of the grass-court final with Jannik Sinner chasing back-to-back crowns, the sport’s ‘power couple’ – Alex de Minaur and Katie Boulter – took everyone by surprise by being knocked down at the same time.
De Minaur and Boulter against the world media? The two stars defeated them in two sets, to be honest – 6-0, 6-0.
Katie Boulter and Alex de Minaur are beaming after tying the knot.Mike Ruane / Story Picture Agency
De Minaur, who has risen to fifth in the world rankings following his efforts at Wimbledon, and Britain’s Boulter, ranked 67th in the world, have always done things their own way, happy to make information about their relationship public but at the same time keeping some key details to themselves.
De Minaur, 27, had looked miserable at the All England Club just days earlier as he resigned himself to yet another tennis tournament exit without reaching the semi-finals.
“It’s tearing me up inside. That’s the reality. Many, many hours are spent on my craft, and countless years to experience moments like this. Not stepping up to the plate is truly gut-wrenching,” a visibly emotional de Minaur said in London, appearing to fight back tears.
But the Australian’s defeat to Roland Garros runner-up Flavio Cobolli a few weeks earlier in the round of 16 in London at least gave him the chance to cement his wedding plans with Boulter, who herself exited Wimbledon in the first round.
Photos emerged of the beaming couple as they left the church in Old Woodhouse, Leicestershire, near the village of Woodhouse Eves where Boulter, 29, grew up.
Details of the ceremony were sparse, and few news outlets even suspected where or when exactly it would take place. For Daily mailit was a whole story.
“Locals have been banned from taking photographs,” the tabloid reported late on Monday (AEST). “Their wedding was described by a source as “deliberately low-key” and “private”, attended only by family members, and followed by a celebration in a nearby pub – a world away from the public eye and media attention, celebrating tennis’s most famous World Cup.”
De Minaur and Boulter announced their engagement in December 2024. But finding time in the busy tennis calendar – one of the busiest in world sports – to complete the wedding was not so easy.
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They are not the only tennis players who take time after Wimbledon to play a love match. Daria Kasatkina, a former Russian who competes for the Australian national team, will soon marry her partner, figure skater Natalya Zabiyako, in Greece.
“There will be about 40 people at the wedding in Athens, we’ve been working on this for about a year. I hope the guests enjoy it; some of the people playing here will come later.” The WTA250 competition will take place in the Greek capital from July 13 to 19.
De Minaur and Boulter have been a couple for at least five years and, as they explained to the cap in an interview with Two Of Us two years ago, it was almost attraction at first sight.
“I knew it was okay to say hello to Alex because we had mutual friends; he had a reputation for being nice and humble,” Boulter explained.
Alex de Minaur and Katie Boulter walk the red carpet at the Laureus World Sports Awards in Spain in April. Pablo Cuadra
“One day, when we were staying at the same hotel, we ran into each other at six in the morning and ended up having coffee. From that moment on, I knew I was going to be in this hotel for a long time.”
De Minaur explained how COVID-19, which has radically impacted the tennis players’ lifestyle, played a role in bringing them together.
“Every time I saw Katie, she was smiling, happy and always in a good mood; that’s what made me think it would be affordable,” de Minaur said.
“Our relationship started at the beginning of Covid. I was in Spain under house arrest and she was in the UK, so we talked on FaceTime for months. I think I knew it was becoming something special when I found myself wanting to talk to her all the time. Her communication was what I was looking for: it gave me a sense of peace.”
“I love Katie’s attitude towards life, the way she approaches every day – always with a smile, always finding the best in things. She’s just a joy to be around.”
The couple kept details of their wedding a closely guarded secret and neither Tennis Australia nor people close to de Minaur confirmed their marriage or spoke about the ceremony when contacted by this headline on Monday. However, de Minaur at least gave a glimpse of the early planning when Jim Courier put him in place at this year’s Australian Open.
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After winning the third round at Rod Laver Arena, Courier asked de Minaur how involved he was in planning the wedding. Boulter, sitting in the stand, could only laugh as De Minaur was forced to respond.
– Do you doubt me, Jim? – said the Australian, playing along with the crowd.
“No, it’s a 50/50 relationship! I was still involved in some of the decisions.
“When it comes to the details of napkins and flowers, that’s not my forte, so I’ll leave that to Katie.”
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