Just hours before the start of the new year, Katie Boulter stepped into the RAC Arena in Perth determined to make a statement at the start of the season. Although Boulter initially trailed world No. 5 Jessica Pegula at the America’s Cup by a set and a double break, Boulter methodically turned the fight around with mature, controlled aggression to claim the biggest win of her career.
The 27-year-old player, who was outside the top 150 in May, could not stay in shape, and tried to keep his best tennis performance from the spotlight in the low-level ITF Tour, completed the season by entering the top 50 and getting his first victory. WTA title. He is currently ranked 57th and continues to gain a reputation as a threat to nearly all of the top seeds.
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More importantly, Boulter knows he has a lot of room to grow. He starts the new season with self-confidence and far from his past successes. He faces a tough draw in the first round of the Australian Open against Yuan Yue, who was a semi-finalist in Hobart last week, but this is a match Boulter has shown he is capable of winning.
“I played very good matches last year,” he said. “I played with a lot of people who were probably not the highest ranked and I felt like I wanted to prove myself against every player on every surface, to prove my authority that I was really among the top hundred players.
“This has never been a goal for me. The first hundred was not my number. I think I did this five years ago. This was something I ticked the box for. Now I really want to keep pushing. Even if it was 50, I marked it too. “It’s time to move on to the real business side of tennis.”
The positivity displayed by Boulter is reflected elsewhere in the English contingent in Melbourne. Both singles draws are well represented by British players, as they have been for a long time.
Last year, after injuries to Emma Raducanu dropped her down the rankings, no British women were ranked high enough to qualify for the main draw. This time there is a group of three people pushing each other. As Raducanu’s comeback continues, Jodie Burrage will look to break into the elite after breaking into the top 100 last year.
Having reached a career-high ranking of No. 85, the 24-year-old is currently ranked No. 102 and still has work to do to ensure he completes the jump from the lower-tier ITF Tour to compete at the highest level week in and week out. .
The British men were once ranked outside the top 100, ranked No.2 behind Andy Murray, but there are now four men in the top 50 with realistic targets of reaching the second week of the grand slams.
After numerous injury problems, Jack Draper continues to rise through the ranks and is seen as a serious threat. The 22-year-old player continued his strong performance in 2023 with a great start and reached the final of the Adelaide International. There is no doubt that Draper has a big and complete game that can compete with many of the best players. If he can make a quick comeback and beat Marcos Giron in the first round, he could have a big second-round matchup with another American, Tommy Paul, next.
Despite a difficult finish to last season, Murray posted extremely positive numbers in Australia. The 36-year-old actor talked about his need to make himself enjoy himself more and contain his frustration.
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There are also injury issues surrounding senior players. After a difficult second half of 2023, Cameron Norrie finished the year with a strong win over Alex de Minaur in the United Cup and said he felt mentally refreshed. However, in Auckland, the 28-year-old was forced to withdraw before the second round match due to an ankle injury. It is not yet clear whether he has enough time to recover.
Last year Dan Evans’ season ended due to a calf injury that he is still recovering from. The 33-year-old football player may face an important match against Carlos Alcaraz in the second round.
“I can definitely win my first round,” Evans said about facing Lorenzo Sonego. “This is how my body endures and how it will heal. It was sore last week. I really didn’t get as much practice and training as I wanted. However, you can practice as much as you want. “If you play Alcaraz, it doesn’t mean you will win anyway.”
Despite the difficulties at the start of the season, it is undeniable that Britain finally have a strong presence in both rounds and a number of players are capable of beating top opposition and making deep runs. They challenge each other with their own achievements, training together regularly and inspiring each other. We’ll see how far they can go.