Katie Boulter claimed her maiden WTA title in a dominant showing at the Nottingham Open, where she defeated fellow Brit Jodie Burrage in the first all-British tour-level final in 46 years. The top spot in the British women’s rankings was also on the line, as Boulter emerged victorious 6-3 6-3 against her close friend.
During her on-court interview, Boulter jubilantly said, “I’m definitely going to be sleeping with this trophy tonight.” Her win comes after Andy Murray’s triumph in the men’s event, signaling a resurgence of British players on grass ahead of Wimbledon next month.
The previous all-British WTA final occurred on 28 February 1977, when Sue Barker bested Virginia Wade in San Francisco. Both Boulter and Burrage, who demonstrated exceptional skill in Nottingham, were making their WTA finals debut.
From the onset, Boulter seized control and quickly established a 5-1 lead in the opening set. Despite a minor hiccup, the 26-year-old regained her footing and ultimately clinched the win when Burrage’s forehand went long. The pair shared a heartfelt embrace at the net before engaging in friendly banter during the trophy presentation.
Boulter, who recently succeeded the injured Emma Raducanu as British number one, is set to break into the world’s top 80 for the first time in her career – a journey that has been plagued by injuries.
British Tennis Experiences Resurgence Amid Criticism
The recent accomplishments of British players follow concerns over the state of tennis in the nation. Alarm bells rang when no British women featured in the main draw of the singles at the French Open, and only three men did.
Dan Evans, a British player, contended that Raducanu’s 2021 US Open win merely “papered over the cracks” in British tennis. Nonetheless, less than a month later, Murray has secured back-to-back titles, and three of the women’s semi-finalists at Nottingham were British.
As the upcoming grass-court tournaments in Eastbourne, Queen’s, and Birmingham promise more competitive lineups, there’s a renewed sense of confidence among British players like Boulter and Burrage.
Reflecting on the historic final, Boulter said, “I’ve played so many British players, we appreciate an all-British final and what an incredible achievement it is. I don’t doubt we [Burrage and I] will be back here playing more finals.”
