“I’m going to come out there and swing” – Boulter eager to test out new fitness on clay

Britain Katie Boulter has a renewed sense of confidence in her body heading into the European clay court swing where she has few points to defend

(AI/Reuters/Panoramic)

Bren Gray

April 9, 2024

Katie Boulter has been coming along in leaps and bounds over the past 12 months. The Brit was ranked outside of the world’s top 150 this time last year, and now she sits inside the top 30, one place off her career-high of No 27.

She credits much of her improvement with an increase in her fitness that has enabled her to actually focus on tennis, rather than being constantly worried about injuries.

“I think it’s made a massive difference to my game,” said Boulter, who went as far as hiring Andy Murray’s fitness trainer, Matt Little, to help her with her physical conditioning. “I can see it day in, day out. I see it in my strength out the corners. I see it in so many small little things that are ultimately helping me win these matches.”

Now Boulter is looking forward to the upcoming clay court season, where she says she’ll be able to play with a renewed sense of confidence in her body.

“I think it’s something fresh, something exciting for me,” the 27-year-old said recently on the WTA Insider Podcast. “Most players would have played on the dirt and enjoyed it and probably got quite a few points to defend, and I’m going to come out there and swing.

Having missed most of the clay season last year due to injuries – and a hesitation to reinjure herself on the challenging surface – Boulter has a clean slate in terms of points over the coming months.

“For me, I don’t have anything to lose,” she continued. “I really am looking forward to it. I think it’s very physical and I’m going to show the physical gains that I’ve really put in the work for.”