Australian tennis star gets married to UK player in Leicestershire village
While the tennis world was focused on Wimbledon’s center court for Sunday afternoon’s grass-court grand final as Jannik Sinner chased back-to-back titles, the sport’s “power couple” – Alex de Minaur and Katie Boulter – caught everyone in the jump by connecting at the same time.
De Minaur and Boulter against the world media? The two stars defeated them in straight sets, 6-0, 6-0, to be fair.
De Minaur, who rose to a career-high No. 5 in the world rankings following her efforts at Wimbledon, and Great Britain’s world No. 67 Boulter have always done things their own way, happy to make information about their relationship freely available but also keeping some key details close to their chests.
De Minaur, 27, hit a desperate figure at the All-England Club just a few days ago as he faced another exit from a tennis major in the quarter-finals.
“It breaks me inside. That’s the truth of the matter. Many, many hours go into my career and countless years go into living moments like this. To not step up to the plate is truly heartbreaking,” a clearly emotional de Minaur said in London, appearing to fight back tears.
But the Australian’s defeat to Roland Garros runner-up Flavio Cobolli in the round of 16 in London a few weeks ago has at least given him the chance to solidify his wedding plans with Boulter, who left Wimbledon in the first round.
Photos have emerged of the smiling couple leaving a church in Old Woodhouse, Leicestershire, near the village of Woodhouse Eaves, where Boulter, 29, grew up.
Details of the ceremony were scarce, and few news outlets even had any idea where or exactly when it would take place. for Daily MailIt was quite a story.
The tabloid reported that “Locals were banned from taking photographs” when the news broke late on Monday (AEST). “Their nuptials was described by one source as ‘deliberately low-key’ and ‘personal’, attended only by family members and followed by a celebration in a nearby bar, a world away from the public and media glare of the world’s most famous tennis championship.”
De Minaur and Boulter announced their engagement in December 2024. However, it was not that easy to find time to consummate their marriage in the busy tennis calendar, one of the most crowded calendars in world sports.
They’re not the only tennis players using their time after Wimbledon to play love matches. Former Russian Daria Kasatkina, who currently plays in Australia, will soon marry her partner, figure skater Natalia Zabiiako, in Greece.
“There will be about 40 people at the wedding in Athens, we’ve been working on it for about a year. I hope the guests like it; a few of the people playing here will come later.” A WTA250 event is being held in the Greek capital from 13 to 19 July.
De Minaur and Boulter had been a couple for at least five years, and as they explained to this imprint in a “Two Of Us” interview two years ago, it was almost an attraction at first sight.
“I knew I would say hello to Alex because we had mutual friends: he was known as a nice and humble person,” Boulter explained.
“Then one day, while staying at the same hotel, we met at six in the morning and ended up having coffee. From that moment on, I knew I was in this for the long haul.”
De Minaur explained how Covid-19, which has greatly affected the lives of tennis players, played a role in bringing them together.
“Every time I saw Katie she was smiling, happy and always in a good mood, which made me think she was approachable,” De Minaur said.
“Our relationship started at the beginning of COVID. I was under house arrest in Spain and he was in the UK, so we talked on FaceTime for months. I think it was when I found myself wanting to talk to him all the time that I realized it had become something special. His friendship was something I was looking for: it gave me a sense of peace.”
“I love Katie’s attitude towards life, the way she approaches each day – always smiling, always finding the best in everything. It’s truly a joy to be around her.”
The couple kept their wedding details a closely guarded secret and neither Tennis Australia nor people close to Minaur would confirm their marriage or talk about the ceremony when contacted by this imprint on Monday. But de Minaur at least gave a glimpse of the early planning when he was brought on by Jim Courier at this year’s Australian Open.
After his third-round win at Rod Laver Arena, the Courier asked de Minaur how practical he was with his wedding planning. Boulter, sitting in the stands, could only laugh when de Minaur had to answer.
“Are you doubting me, Jim?” said the Australian, addressing the crowd.
“No, it’s a 50-50 relationship! I’ve been involved in some of the decisions so far.
“As for the details of the napkins and flowers, that’s not my forte, so I’ll leave that to Katie.”
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