Katie Boulter’s Fiancé Alex de Minaur’s Surprise Appearance at Queen’s Sparks Role Reversal Buzz
Katie Boulter, Britain’s No. 1 women’s tennis player, stunned fans at the Queen’s Club Championships on June 10, 2025, when her fiancé, Alex de Minaur, unexpectedly appeared in the stands to cheer her on, flipping their usual dynamic. Typically, Boulter supports De Minaur at the ATP 500 event, but the WTA 500 HSBC Championships, the first women’s tournament at Queen’s in 52 years, saw her take center stage. Boulter called the moment “weird but really nice,” telling Express.co.uk, “I’ve watched him here so many times… Having him there, unplanned, was special,” per www.express.co.uk.
Boulter’s gritty 7-6(4), 1-6, 6-4 win over Australian qualifier Ajla Tomljanovic, a friend of De Minaur, marked a milestone on the Andy Murray Arena. She admitted to battling nerves, saying, “Grass lets doubt creep in… I didn’t serve my best, but I dug deep,” per www.dailymail.co.uk. The two-hour match, played in windy conditions, highlighted her resilience, with De Minaur’s presence providing a morale boost, per www.motorcyclesports.net. “The crowd and Alex’s support made it surreal,” she told Tennis365.com, per www.tennis365.com.
Fans on X, like @DExpress_Sport, were abuzz over the role reversal, with @TennisTalker tweeting, “Alex cheering for Katie at Queen’s? Iconic switch-up!” per @TennisTalker. Boulter’s doubles run with Emma Raducanu, though ended by top seeds Lyudmyla Kichenok and Erin Routliffe (6-2, 7-5), added to her grass-court momentum, per www.theguardian.com. De Minaur, world No. 10, skipped Queen’s to prepare for the Libema Open, making his appearance a heartfelt gesture, per www.atptour.com. Engaged since December 2024, the couple’s mutual support fuels Boulter’s Wimbledon (June 30-July 13) ambitions, where she eyes a seeding, per www.wtatennis.com. The unexpected twist at Queen’s has fans dreaming of a joint Grand Slam moment, possibly in mixed doubles, per www.tennis.com.
