"Back off ladies, that bucket hat boy is mine" - Alex De Minaur's girlfriend Katie Boulter has hilarious reaction to Aussie's Esquire photoshoot
World No. 11 Alex de Minaur's latest photoshoot with Esquire has evoked an amusing response from his girlfriend Katie Boutler.
Alex de Minaur chalked up a third consecutive fourth round appearance at the Australian Open in Melbourne this year. Despite a valiant effort against Andre Rublev, he got beaten in a tight five-setter.
De Minaur opened up on his run in Melbourne during a photoshoot with popular lifestyle brand Esquire Australia. His pictures triggered a tongue-in cheek response from his British girlfriend and women's World No. 53 Katie Boulter.
"Back off ladies, that bucket hat boy is mine," Boulter said, reacting to Alex de Minaur's photoshoot on Instagram.
The Sydney-born tennis professional has been dating Boulter since 2020, and they made their relationship official in 2021. Apart from supporting each other at significant events on tour, the couple is frequently seen indulging in light-hearted banter on social media with their fans.
While Alex de Minaur reached the fourth round of the Melbourne Major, Boulter registered a second round exit on her fourth appearance. She began her campaign on a promising note, edging past Yue Yuan in straight sets. However, Boulter couldn't get past Zheng Qinwen, losing to the Chinese player 3-6, 3-6.
“I don’t want to have any regrets, that means getting the most out of myself" - Alex de Minaur
Alex De Minaur is already contemplating his next move after a strong campaign at the 2024 Australian Open.
The Australian No. 1 has put in a commendable shift in the last 12 months on the tour. Making his seventh appearance in Melbourne, he outwitted Milos Raonic, Matteo Arnaldi and Flavio Cobolli on the way to the fourth round, but eventually ran out of steam against Andrey Rublev.
De Minaur reflected on his campaign and expressed a desire to leave no stone unturned in the future to enhance his level. He spoke about having the honesty to understand his weaknesses and plan to work towards maximising his potential.
“I don’t want to have any regrets. That means getting the most out of myself and seeing where I need to improve, what I need to do in certain situations to ultimately be able to finish my career and be content and know that I gave it my all," Alex de Minaur said during the photoshoot with Esquire.
"The one thing I want to achieve in my career is that I can sit on the couch, once it’s all said and done and know that I gave myself the best shot and I did everything I could,” he added.