Boulter Unfazed by Ranking Chase as Raducanu and Kartal Close Gap
Katie Boulter says she isn’t feeling any pressure as she works to hold onto her position as Britain’s top women’s tennis player, even with Emma Raducanu and Sonay Kartal rapidly climbing the rankings.
The 28-year-old has held the British number one spot since June 2023, but a mix of injuries and a stop-start season has caused her world ranking to slip. After reaching a career-best No. 23 last November, Boulter is currently ranked 40th, with a 5-5 record in 2025 so far.
Meanwhile, Raducanu is surging again—now ranked 49th after a strong run to the Miami Open quarter-finals—while Kartal has jumped to 60th with an impressive recent stretch.
Still, Boulter remains cool under the spotlight.
“I don’t feel any pressure at all,” she told BBC Sport. “I’m comfortable where I am. Everyone’s on a different path, and I’m proud of mine.”
“I’ve been the British number one for two years now. It’s something I’m used to.”
Boulter kicks off her clay season this week at the Madrid Open, facing Czech player Katerina Siniakova in the first round. Clay has never been her strongest surface—she’s only played four main-draw WTA matches on it—but she’s working on improving that side of her game.
After competing in the Billie Jean King Cup last week, where she split her singles matches and helped secure Great Britain’s spot in the Finals, Boulter trained in Alicante instead of squeezing in another WTA event. The decision was part of a cautious approach to managing a foot injury that’s already cost her nearly two months of play this year.
“Staying healthy is the most important thing,” Boulter added. “I know the ranking will take care of itself if I can do that.”
She’s optimistic about her level of play, emphasizing that her recent ranking dip is more about limited match time than performance.
“It’s not like my level has dropped. I still feel like I’m playing great tennis—it’s just about being able to compete consistently.”
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