Katie Boulter Confirms Comeback as Alex de Minaur Gets Boost from Djokovic’s Shock Loss in Monte Carlo
Katie Boulter has announced that she is ready to tackle only her second clay court season after recovering from a tough injury. Meanwhile, Alex de Minaur has been given a significant boost in Monte Carlo following Novak Djokovic’s surprise defeat.
Boulter, who has played just two tournaments this year since her Australian Open exit, competed in Indian Wells and the Miami Open but struggled at both events. She confirmed that an injury had hindered her performances since Australia, with just two singles victories in 2025. However, she didn’t want to skip the tournaments in the U.S. to maintain her match fitness.
“Coming back from injury is always brutal,” Boulter shared with the LTA. “I could’ve taken more time off, but I wanted to play and keep some momentum going from Australia, where I was playing some of my best tennis.”
Looking ahead, Boulter feels optimistic about her clay-court game, drawing confidence from last year’s Billie Jean King Cup tie against France, where Great Britain triumphed on the surface. Although Boulter had never played a WTA clay-court match before that encounter, she sees it as a pivotal moment that boosted her belief in her ability to succeed on clay.
“Beating France on clay was a huge achievement. It showed me what I could do, and it gave me confidence for the upcoming clay season,” she said.
As Boulter gears up for the Bille Jean King Cup clash against the Netherlands, her partner, Alex de Minaur, is setting his sights on a major showdown with Daniil Medvedev at the Monte Carlo Masters. His chances of advancing have been greatly improved after Novak Djokovic’s early exit.
De Minaur now has a prime opportunity to close the gap on Djokovic in the ATP rankings. Djokovic, the third seed, was knocked out in the second round by Alejandro Tabilo in straight sets, much to his frustration.
“I didn’t expect to play this badly. It was horrible,” Djokovic admitted after his loss, but he remained focused on preparing for the French Open, his main priority.
While Djokovic’s exit was a blow for his Roland Garros preparation, it offers a huge opportunity for De Minaur, who now faces Medvedev in the round of 16. The Russian has expressed frustration with clay, while De Minaur is steadily improving on the surface.
De Minaur has not played Medvedev since last year’s ATP Finals, but he defeated the Russian at Roland Garros last year, and this could be his chance to repeat that result. If successful, De Minaur could overtake Medvedev in the rankings.
“The draw has gotten a bit easier for me after Djokovic’s exit. I’ll take it one match at a time,” said De Minaur, who dropped to World No. 10 after disappointing results at Indian Wells and Miami.
With the door opening for a potential deep run in Monte Carlo, De Minaur’s clay season is off to an exciting start.
