Katie Boulter’s fiancé Alex de Minaur shares heartbreaking response as Brit opens up on vile messages
On June 17, 2025, British tennis star Katie Boulter, ranked WTA No. 39, shared with BBC Sport the horrific social media abuse she receives, including death threats and messages like “hope you get cancer” and threats to “damage her grandmother’s grave if she’s not dead by tomorrow,” per BBC Sport. Boulter, 28, noted that such abuse, often from disgruntled gamblers, has become “the norm” in tennis, escalating after losses like her French Open first-set tie-break against Carole Monnet, despite winning 6-7(4), 6-1, 6-1, per Express. She also revealed receiving abuse targeting her fiancé, ATP No. 12 Alex de Minaur, such as, “Shame on you Alex!!! Tell him he has no respect for his public!!! … 5-3 and loose? Shame on you looser,” per The Age.
De Minaur’s Heartbreaking Response
After his 6-4, 6-2 first-round loss to Jiri Lehecka at Queen’s Club on June 17, de Minaur expressed heartbreak over Boulter’s ordeal, praising her courage for speaking out. “It’s great for her to step up and shine a light into this, which is something that happens to every single tennis player out there. Every single athlete, I would say,” he said, per Canberra Times. He lamented the lack of change despite widespread outcry, noting, “It’s been going on for a while now. A lot of people have spoken out against it, but it doesn’t change,” per Express. De Minaur, expecting similar abuse after his loss, added, “I haven’t gone on my social media yet, but I’m sure I’ll have a lot of people not too happy with my result today,” per Sydney Morning Herald.
Context and Impact
Boulter, who anticipates a surge in abuse during Wimbledon 2025 (June 30–July 13), highlighted the vulnerability players feel, saying, “You really don’t know if this person is on site,” per BBC Sport. She also receives explicit images, though Instagram filters some, and has tried responding kindly to abusers to prompt reflection, per Daily Star. De Minaur, engaged to Boulter since December 2024, agreed that gamblers fuel much of the toxicity, exacerbating emotional lows after losses, per 7NEWS. The couple, who met in 2020 and went public in 2021, supports each other through such challenges, with Boulter calling de Minaur her “best support,” per Australian Women’s Weekly. X posts, like @DExpress_Sport, echoed de Minaur’s call for action, reflecting public dismay, per @DExpress_Sport.
