Tennis star Katie Boulter: ‘I’m coming out of my shell’

Camilla Foster, The Independent

Currently the British number one in women’s singles, tennis star Katie Boulter has spoken about her increasing confidence on court and about the people who inspire her. “The more I play on bigger stages, the more I come out of my shell,” shared the 28-year-old. “I can be quite shy sometimes, but tennis gives me that outlet to really express how I feel and to show how tough I can be in big moments. “And that gives me a lot of confidence and really pushes me to be the best version of myself.” The Leicester-born athlete says her family are the driving force behind her success, as well as her biggest source of inspiration. “My family are my biggest inspiration in life and in tennis,” said Boulter. “They have given everything to me throughout their lives.

“When they’re proud of me, I know that I’m motivated and doing the best that I possibly can.” Incredible racket skills clearly run in her blood, as her mother Sue Boulter is a former tennis coach who played tennis at the county level and represented Great Britain as a junior. Her grandparents on her mother’s side, Brian and Jill Gartshore, were also avid players who met and bonded through the sport. “My grandma was county captain for 20 years and my grandpa played tennis his whole entire life,” revealed Boulter. “That’s actually how they met, so I’ve kind of grown up with tennis and them being a huge part of it.” Jill died two days before Boulter’s second round Wimbledon victory in 2022 against Czech Republic’s Karolína Plíšková who was seeded number one in the world at the time. Boulter said her grandparents’ unwavering support has been crucial to her development as an athlete.

“I was always very close to my grandparents growing up and was lucky to have them around all the time,” reflected Boulter. “They were picking me up from tennis, taking me to school, along with my mum, and I would literally see them in the corner of the playground waving because they knew that was the time of my break. They were a huge part of my life.

“I always used to go to the Leicestershire Lawn Tennis Club and spend a lot of time watching them,” she added. “They’d play fours and all have a nice cup of tea afterwards, and that was a huge part of their life, and just something they enjoyed, and it kept them competitive and active and healthy.”

Knowing the benefits tennis had on her grandparents’ mental and physical health prompted Boulter to recently attend a walking tennis session – made possible by the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) — at Sutton Tennis & Squash Club in South London. She chatted to and hit some balls with Age UK service users and saw how valuable the social element of walking tennis is firsthand. “It’s a good opportunity just to come and play tennis, do something fun and put a smile on someone’s face,” said Boulter. “It’s a nice bonding tool to be able to play with someone or play doubles as it brings you closer to people.

“And you know, it might give you a bit more confidence to leave the house, go and see your friends more and have a healthier lifestyle.”
She first started working with Age UK during the pandemic. “The first time I started with Age UK, was around COVID time and I felt like it was a really good time to do it, because one, I had a bit of time, which normally I don’t have, and secondly, it was a really isolating time for everyone, you know, especially the elderly,” recollected Boulter. “They needed a little bit help, so I just wanted to give back and try and be a little bit of a comfort for them. “It combines two of my biggest passions, tennis and giving back to the elderly.”

Jemma Thornton, head of wellbeing services at Age UK Sutton, added: “Part of our project is to reduce isolation and loneliness, and people have lost confidence from not going about and doing typical day-to-day things.