THE CHAMPIONSHIPS

July 2, 2022

Katie Boulter

Press Conference

H. TAN/K. Boulter

6-1, 6-1

THE MODERATOR: Some initial thoughts on today's match.

KATIE BOULTER: Yeah, obviously pretty difficult one for me to take. I think I may have seen it coming a little bit. I started to reach my emotional and physical point where I was struggling a little bit this morning in the warmup.

But it's a step forward in the right direction. I've got nothing but positive vibes coming into this week and moving forward for the next few tournaments.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Can you tell us a bit more about what those physical feelings were today.

KATIE BOULTER: Yeah, I think I'm just a little bit emotionally drained, if I'm honest. It's been a long few weeks. I'm not going to even talk about this week. I think this week was the cherry on top.

But I've been working so hard for a long period of time, getting through an injury to start with is a huge, huge struggle, and I made it through, and I'm here and played some amazing tennis week in, week out. I've played a lot of matches. I sort of went from zero to a hundred quite quickly.

Yeah, this week has probably been the tipping point. I've played some great matches. It's also been very emotional. I think today was one step too far for me.

Credit to her, she was playing some tough, tough tennis. Clearly it was a bit much. But, yeah, it was not an easy one for me today.

Q. You've had quite a few injury issues. It's really about exhaustion rather than a specific problem you've got?

KATIE BOULTER: Oh, yeah, without a doubt. I'm completely fine. I'm a little bit mentally tapped out. It's been a big push for me every single day. I was probably tired going into this tournament.

As you've seen, it's been a long, physical battle for me the past few days. I think for me it's great because I've played so many matches, and I know that I'm stronger than ever.

Going forward, I'll take a break, get myself ready, mentally refreshed, and get going again.

Q. After such a great win in the last round on Centre, were you at all surprised to be scheduled on Court 2 today? Looking ahead to the rest of the season, what positives can you draw from such a positive few weeks?

KATIE BOULTER: In terms of the scheduling, no, not at all. You can look at it on paper. You're supposed to put the best matches there are out there on Centre Court and on Court 1.

We've got Iga who is out there on an I don't know how many match winning streak. I would never expect to be put ahead of players like that.

It's a privilege to play on those courts. Obviously I would have loved to have played. At the end of the day I would never expect that.

What was the second question?

Q. What positives can you draw from the second half of the grass court season?

KATIE BOULTER: I've got absolutely loads of positives. Many come from a physical and mental place. I know I can compete with these players week in, week out at this level. That for me is the biggest thing out of everything.

It's easy to say that I believe, but I've done it for the past four weeks off the back of an injury. Going forward, if I can kind of use this momentum, I really feel like I'm going to be in a great place by the end of the year. I've just got to stay healthy, fit, and fresh, yeah.

Q. Obviously you're a pro and you have to go and play where you're put and accept that. Do you understand that people might think it a bit strange, given how many people have been attracted to your story this week, the impact that you had on Thursday, it does look a bit odd that you're playing on Court 2 at 11:00 in the morning?

KATIE BOULTER: I'm actually not sure on that one. I think, you know, I'm very lucky to have had the people that followed me during those matches. Ultimately I'm a tennis player. I really have no idea where I'm going to be scheduled. I just have to react to what I'm given.

It's a privilege to play on these grounds, let alone on the biggest courts. I'll take every match as it comes. As I said, it was a difficult one today, but we'll get through the next few weeks.

Q. How difficult is it to play a player like that who obviously doesn't sort of give you a consistent ball, puts you in those positions that maybe aren't comfortable?

KATIE BOULTER: Yeah, really difficult. She doesn't really give you any rhythm as such. On a grass court, she's got a great slice, she moves you around the court. She used the wind really well today against me.

I didn't really feel like I was penetrating in any way. I didn't feel like I was winning any points off my serve that I normally do, off my groundstrokes. So for me it was tough. Obviously, as the scoreline shows, it wasn't an easy battle for me today.

Yeah, credit to her, she's playing great. But, yeah, I've got to look after myself now and that's number one.

Q. Obviously we all know what has been going on for you off the court. I imagine that's as big an emotional drain as anything from the tennis. With the court placement, when you are emotionally drained for all those reasons, having 15,000 Brits screaming on the Centre Court might help, is what we're trying to say.

KATIE BOULTER: Totally understand that. Look, the crowd tried their best today. I'm not sure, whether I was playing on Centre Court or Court 1 or Court 20, I'm not sure if that's what was going to get me through today.

Again, as I said, it's a privilege for me to be out there in front of many people on the best courts in the world. Hopefully I'm going to win some more matches and I'm going to be put on those courts. I would never expect to be on those courts in the first place.

But, yeah, I mean, it's great to be back with your home crowd. I would always like to be in the biggest arena that I could possibly be in. Unfortunately that wasn't today.

Q. Obviously it's Wimbledon, ranking points are not... It's clear what the tournament has meant to you. Now the tournament has come to an end, usually you would take with it the rankings points you'd earned and be able to use that going forward. Is there any sort of different feeling or slight letdown at not being able to physically take anything away from the tournament?

KATIE BOULTER: It's a really tough one. Of course I would have loved to have taken some ranking points this week. I'd be lying if I sat here and said I didn't.

But again, I came into the tournament knowing that. I played the tournament because it's Wimbledon, the biggest tournament of the year for me.

I've got a lot to take from it. I've got so many positives. I know the ranking is going to take care of itself. I truly believe that. I'm going in the right direction.

If I can continue to win matches week in, week out like I have been doing the past few weeks, I think I'll be in a very good place by the end of the year.

I'll get my opportunity, and I'll use the positives from this week to spur me on for the next ones.

Q. It must have been a roller coaster for you this past couple of weeks particularly. The explosion of interest in you in Britain is quite remarkable. How has that sunk in over the last 48 hours? Have you felt that interest? Do you think it maybe affected you today in a positive way?

KATIE BOULTER: Yeah, I feel like there's people behind me. For me, I don't think I could ever take that in a negative way. There's no negative connotations to that whatsoever. I have people standing with me, and to me, that lifts me up.

I think today was more about my own personal things that have been going on. It kind of just caught up with me a little bit. I don't think the other stuff is anything to do with what made the difference today.

I'm sure a little bit of a rest and a mental break will get me ready for the rest of the year. It's just really nice to see that there are a lot of British people who are supporting me. I really do appreciate it.

Q. The LTA said this morning that female recreational tennis has gone up 10% in the last year partly due to success stories like your own. I wonder what your reaction is to that.

KATIE BOULTER: I mean, I think you can see my reaction to that. I think that's absolutely incredible. I love to hear stuff like that because it's one of the main reasons I play tennis. I hope that there are so many people that can get inspired, see someone out there with a story, playing in front of a lot of people, going, You know what, I want to be that person.

To see that happening over Great Britain, it really does inspire even the players, even me, it inspires me to keep going. It really is great to see that and I hope we can continue that momentum.

Q. The mention of the points there. I looked at live rankings.

KATIE BOULTER: Don't tell me (smiling).

Q. It's not too bad actually. Basically the points you would have earned here could have possibly gotten you in main draw of US Open. I wonder with that in mind, given at the moment you're going to be in qualifying, how will you map out your schedule?

KATIE BOULTER: Yeah, I'll be smart. That's one of the biggest things for me that I've learnt over the years. I'm going to have to be smart with the weeks that I play, not doing too many in a row.

I think actually I was scheduled not to play these four in a row myself, coming back from injury. It just so happened that I wasn't ready for Surbiton and I wanted to push myself and play these four.

Going forward, I'll be probably playing three and then having a break, three and having a break. I think that will be my tactic going forward so I can stay fresh and stay ready. I'll be prepared for whatever's thrown in my direction.

I'll be ready for quallies this year. If it's this year, next year, whatever year it might be, it's a privilege to play the tournament at all. You never know, hopefully I can do what Emma did last year. Hey, we're a long way away from that and I'm just going to go out there and enjoy myself.

Q. You had the injury earlier this year. Physically do you feel kind of the strongest you ever have now?

KATIE BOULTER: Without a doubt. I'm sitting here saying I'm a little bit tired. But I'm in the best place I've ever been. I really can't complain with the way I'm feeling physically. I think this is more of an emotional drain rather than a physical one.

Yeah, I feel like I've put the work in, and it is paying off. It's the strongest I've been and most consistent I've been over the past few weeks. I think a lot of that is down to the physical work that I've been doing behind the scenes, and a slight change in program, I guess, as to what I've been doing.

Yeah, I feel like I'm in a great place. A little mental freshener and I'll be ready to go.

Q. There was a period when you were monitoring how much work you did because of the fatigue you had when you were much younger. Have you gotten to a point that is not an issue and you can do as much as people are recommending?

KATIE BOULTER: Yeah, this is new ground for me. I haven't been in this place before. I've obviously had those issues in the past. I feel like they've been put behind me now. I feel like I can crack on, I do.

I think being smart with schedule and stuff like that will make the difference. Making sure that I have specific breaks in the year where I have to take it there and I have to take it there, because that's what's going to keep me going, keep me fresh. Knowing that I can put everything into a certain block, that's what's going to be making the difference for me I think. I'm going to be a lot more consistent with that.

I've done it once. I've been slowly trying to build it up more and more. Hopefully I can keep that going and be in an even better place by the end of the year ready to start a fresh year.