"You're a joke" - Alex de Minaur ecstatic about girlfriend Katie Boulter's first WTA final
Australian tennis player Alex de Minaur was ecstatic about his girlfriend Katie Boulter reaching the first WTA final of her career.
Boulter, who became the British No. 1 this week after Emma Raducanu continued her rankings freefall, reached the finals of the 2023 Rothesay Open in Nottingham without dropping a set.
She most recently defeated fellow Brit, Heather Watson, in the semifinals, 6-4, 7-5, on Saturday. Previously, she bested Emily Appleton, Daria Snigur, and Harriet Dart in the tournament.
De Minaur congratulated Boulter in his Instagram story, playfully calling her "a joke."
"You are a jokeeeee," De Minaur captioned a photo of Boulter, adding three heart emojis.
Boulter and De Minaur have been dating since 2020, with the pair regularly posting pictures of them together on social media, often joking with each other.
For International Women's Day in 2021, De Minaur posted a photo with Boulter, adding:
"Happy international women’s day!! Especially to this one, I don’t mind you."
"Guess you’re OK too," Boulter replied.
The pair marked their three-year anniversary with a romantic date night in 2023.
"Older but no wiser Happy birthday guapo," Boulter wrote on her Instagram page, with De Minaur replying, "Thank you guapa."
Katie Boulter to play Jodie Burrage in Nottingham 2023 final
Katie Boulter will match up against her countrywoman, Jodie Burrage, in an all-British final at the 2023 Rothesay Open in Nottingham.
Prior to beating Heather Watson in the semifinals, Boulter dispatched qualifier Emily Appleton, 6-1, 6-3, in the first round, Daria Snigur, 7-5, 6-3, in the second round, and Harriet Dart, 6-3, 7-5, in the quarterfinals.
Burrage will also play in the first WTA final of her career, beating some much higher-ranked players than her on her way.
The Brit defeated Tereza Martincova, 7-6(3), 3-6, 7-6(4), in the first round, Magda Linette, 7-5, 6-3, in the second round, Magdalena Frech, 6-2, 3-6, 7-5, in the quarterfinals, and Alize Cornet, 7-5, 7-5, in the semifinals.
This will be the third head-to-head match of their careers, with Boulter, who is two years older, winning both of them.
Boulter was victorious in the qualifying draw at Birmingham in 2017, 6-1, 6-7(3), 6-4, and in the final of the 2023 W60 in Canberra, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2.
The finals in Nottingham will be the first all-British WTA duel since the 1977 Virginia Slims of San Francisco, where Sue Barker defeated Virginia Wade, 6-3, 6-4.