Why Katie Boulter Will NOT Be Present for the Biggest Match of Fiancée Alex de Minaur’s Career at the Australian Open

The British tennis star flew home just hours before her fiancé’s quarter-final showdown with Jannik Sinner—and commentators couldn’t resist making jokes about the timing

Katie Boulter wasn’t in her usual courtside seat when fiancé Alex de Minaur walked onto Rod Laver Arena for the biggest match of his career on Wednesday night. The British tennis star had already boarded a plane back to the UK, leaving Australia before de Minaur’s quarter-final clash against world number one Jannik Sinner.

The absence didn’t go unnoticed—and commentators wasted no time addressing the elephant in the room with some pointed humor about her departure.

The Professional Reality of Tennis Life

Boulter’s early exit from Melbourne wasn’t personal—it was professional. After being knocked out in the second round of the Australian Open by Swiss star Belinda Bencic, the 29-year-old faced a decision familiar to all touring tennis players: stay and support, or prepare for the next tournament.

She chose preparation.

“Unfortunately Katie isn’t here, she’s gone home,” Laura Robson explained on Eurosport’s coverage. “She left yesterday morning because she’s playing Doha in a couple of weeks so needs to be able to prepare as best as possible for that. But I know she’ll be watching on the TV.”

Boulter herself hinted at her departure on Instagram earlier Wednesday, posting “Thank you Aussie for making me feel like I’m at home” alongside a plane emoji—a subtle confirmation she was already airborne while her fiancé was preparing for his quarter-final.

Commentators Take a Dig

Channel 9’s commentary team couldn’t resist addressing the situation during de Minaur’s match, which quickly turned into a nightmare as Sinner dominated from the opening game.

Todd Woodbridge pointed out during the second set: “Boulter isn’t there this evening, she flew out today off to her next tournament. You have to keep playing so she is not in the crowd.”

Jim Courier then delivered the zinger that summed up the lopsided contest: “I hope her plane has Wi-Fi to keep track of the score, although at this stage it might be better if she doesn’t.”

At that point, de Minaur had already dropped the first set 6-3 and was down two breaks in the second, trailing the world number one comprehensively. The joke was all in good fun, but captured the brutal reality unfolding on court.

A Thrashing in Front of the Home Crowd

The match represented de Minaur’s first-ever Australian Open quarter-final—the furthest he’d ever progressed at his home Grand Slam. It should have been a moment to savour regardless of the result, a breakthrough achievement for Australia’s number one player.

Instead, it turned into a masterclass from Sinner, who dismantled de Minaur 6-3, 6-2, 6-1 in just over two hours. The Italian gave the Australian virtually no opportunities, winning in clinical fashion to extend his perfect 10-0 career record against de Minaur.

“It’s pretty tough right now for me to sit here after this defeat and tell you that I believe I can go all the way,” a deflated de Minaur admitted afterward. “But saying that, I do think that there are opportunities out there. Tennis is so much about matchups, right? Yeah, I think right now my worst matchup on tour is probably Jannik. You know, there’s a head-to-head that doesn’t lie.”

Why Boulter Had to Leave

For Boulter, the decision to depart early wasn’t taken lightly. The couple had been each other’s biggest supporters throughout the tournament, with de Minaur sitting in Boulter’s player box during her matches despite his own preparation.

But professional tennis demands difficult choices. With the Qatar Open approaching and Boulter needing match practice and preparation time, staying in Melbourne made little practical sense after her own early exit.

The British number one has endured a challenging 2025 season, struggling for form and consistency. She’s won just 14 main-draw matches on the WTA Tour throughout the year and recently parted ways with coach Biljana Veselinovic after two years together.

Making matters worse, Boulter missed direct entry into the Australian Open main draw, only securing her spot following a late withdrawal. Her ranking has plummeted to 99th in the world after reaching a career-high 23rd at the end of 2024.

A Difficult Year for the Couple

The 2025 season has tested both halves of tennis’s golden couple. While de Minaur reached the quarter-finals in Melbourne, his year has been marked by near-misses and heartbreaking defeats—including his winless record against Sinner.

“I’ve dealt with a fair bit of heartbreak recently. It was good to—finally—get a win,” de Minaur said earlier in the season in Turin. “More than anything, regardless of the result… I had made peace with myself. I was okay with the result not going my way. I just wanted to play my way.”

For Boulter, injury problems and form issues have derailed what should have been a breakthrough year following her engagement to de Minaur in December 2024. The couple announced their engagement with a Christmas-time Instagram post, with Boulter writing “We’ve been keeping a small secret…” alongside a photo showing off her emerald-cut diamond ring.

De Minaur Fires Back at Critics

The defeat to Sinner prompted some harsh criticism on social media, with one notorious fan writing: “Alex de Minaur has zero self belief that he can even compete with Sinner let alone beat him. Awful performance from him.”

De Minaur wasn’t having it, firing back with a perfectly crafted response: “Hey mate it’s a shame that you never became a good enough player to experience playing Jannik. I’m sure you would’ve put up a better performance and know exactly how to beat him. Wishing you all the best!!!”

The reply received over 2,000 retweets and 13,000 likes compared to just 67 and 1,000 for the fan’s original post—a decisive victory on social media even if the one on court eluded him.

The Bigger Picture

While Boulter’s absence made for unfortunate optics and provided fodder for commentators, it highlights a reality rarely discussed in professional tennis: the demands of the tour often force couples apart during crucial moments.

Unlike team sports where fixtures are scheduled well in advance, tennis players must constantly balance personal support with professional preparation. Tournaments overlap, schedules conflict, and sometimes—as happened here—one partner must leave before the other’s run is complete.

Boulter will have watched de Minaur’s quarter-final from the UK, likely regretting the timing but understanding the necessity of her decision. De Minaur, for his part, has always been effusive in supporting his fiancée’s career, even pausing his own press conferences to celebrate her victories.

“Before we talk about my match, can we just talk about Katie Boulter today?” he famously said after one of his Wimbledon matches in 2022. “I mean, she had a pretty good win herself.”

What’s Next

De Minaur’s Australian Open dream may have ended in disappointment, but at 25, he has time to return and build on this breakthrough. Reaching the quarter-finals represents his best Grand Slam result to date and cements his status as Australia’s top male player.

For Boulter, the focus now turns to Doha and rebuilding her form after a difficult season. The couple will reunite soon, and both will have opportunities to support each other throughout 2026.

Their relationship has endured long-distance periods before—they famously started dating during COVID-19 lockdowns, spending months on FaceTime before meeting in person. A few days apart while chasing professional goals is nothing new.

But the timing of Boulter’s departure—just hours before the biggest match of de Minaur’s career—will remain one of those unfortunate footnotes in their story, immortalized by Jim Courier’s cheeky commentary and the empty seat in de Minaur’s player box as Sinner delivered a brutal lesson on Rod Laver Arena.