From growing up in a town of less than 2000 people to becoming England's No. 1 female tennis player: Everything you need to know about Katie Boulter
It's not unusual for children to follow in their parents' footsteps, but for that to lead to them becoming a household name around the world is something a little more peculiar.
But that's exactly what happened with Katie.
Katie Boulter was born on August 1, 1996, in Woodhouse Eaves, Leicester, an English village with a population of just over 1600.
Today, she is the nation's number one female tennis player.
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Today Katie Boulter is England's number one female tennis player. AP
Boulter comes from a long line of tennis players. Her grandmother, Gill Gartshore, was a county champion tennis player, and her mum, Susan Boulter, also played at the county level going on to represent Great Britain a few times.
So it's no wonder that by five years old, Katie had a racquet in her hands.
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By the age of five Boulter had a racket in her hands. Instagram/katiecboulter
And while her mum and grandmother were the driving forces behind Katie getting onto the court, it was her brother James that drove her to become the best.
"When we were younger, beating my big brother was a big motivation for me! I don't think he realised it at the time," Katie told BBC Sport.
"We used to practise together at this local court down the road from our house. It was the only thing I could eventually beat him in, so that felt great."
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Her mum, Susan Boulter was also a tennis player, but it was her older brother James that drove her to be the best. Instagram/katiecboulter
At eight years old Katie represented Great Britain for the first time, however she said her "absolute claim to fame" was beating her brother when she was 14.
"I'll keep that for life! He hasn't really picked up a racquet much since then," she shared.
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She says her "absolute claim to fame" was beating James when she was 14 years old. Instagram/katiecboulter
Katie's junior career was full of accolades.
At 11 years old she won the Lemon Bowl in Rome and three years later she was a finalist in Florida's Junior Orange Bowl – a position tennis greats such as Andy Murray and Caroline Wozniacki have also been in.
She competed in tournament after tournament, making her way to the grand slams, and it was on June 12, 2023, she became England's number one female tennis player.
And while she's known by tennis fans around the world, she's become particularly well-known right here in Australia over the past five years.
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Boulter has been dating Aussie tennis star Alex de Minaur for five years now. Instagram
Katie met Aussie tennis star Alex de Minaur through the sport. She had heard through mutual friends that the world No. 8 was a "good, humble" guy.
"One day, when we were staying in the same hotel, we bumped into each other at six in the morning and ended up getting a coffee," she told The Sydney Morning Herald
"From that moment, I knew I was in it for the long haul."
And it seems that Katie and de Minaur are proof that "when you know you know" is true, with the couple announcing their engagement just before the 2025 season kicked off.
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The couple just announced their engagement ahead of the 2025 season. Instagram
"We've been keeping a small secret," the couple wrote in a joint Instagram post with Boulter flashing her new engagement ring.
At the moment, Katie and de Minaur are in Australia as the couple prepare to compete in the Australian Open.
And plan a wedding.
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