Alex de Minaur has backed Katie Boulter after she suffered a tough defeat in the second round of the US Open. Boulter has struggled for form in 2026 having only won two matches at grand slams this year.
The former British tennis No.1 was heading to New York looking at bouncing back and got the first round win in a huge boost. But she faced a tough second round match against Karolina Muchova.
Alex de Minaur (pictured) admitted Katie Boulter (pictured far left) suffered a ‘difficult’ loss in the second round at the US Open. (Images: Getty Images)
Boulter started off well having won the opening game, but then lost 12 in a row to go down 6-1 6-0 in 58 minutes. Muchova has been in stellar form to start her US Open campaign only dropping three games in her first match.
Unfortunately for Boulter, this means she finishes her season having only reached the second round twice across the four grand slams. De Minaur admitted he was keeping an eye on Boulter’s match during his preparations for his first round clash.
And the Aussie said he would be there for Boulter after the tough loss, despite having to take to court himself. “Of course it’s difficult,” he said.
“Ultimately, we’ve got each other’s backs no matter what and we’ve always got one eye out on each other. Obviously it was a tough day for Katie and I had to do my best to just focus on my task ahead and get the job done in the best way possible, and I’m glad I was able to achieve that today.”
Despite a tough tennis season for the British star, Boulter and de Minaur got married after Wimbledon. The pair took a short break, before both returned to the court ahead of the US Open. De Minaur was also thrilled with his straight sets win over Andrea Guerrieri in his first round.
Katie Boulter (pictured) has struggled at grand slams this year. (Photo by Ben Solomon/USTA via Getty Images)
Alex de Minaur wins first round match
De Minaur had to wait an extra day to get onto court after his first round match was postponed due to rain. Despite a break, the Aussie looked in good form at Flushing Meadows with a 6-2 6-2 6-4 win over Italian Guerrieri.
“It definitely helps to be able to get on the court, get off the court and in straight sets. Every little bit helps.” he said. “Now I’m moving onwards, I’ll be ready for tomorrow. It should be a battle, a physical one.”
The rain delay in New York now means De Minaur’s schedule is accelerated and he will play his second round match in 24 hours. He was also scheduled on one of the outside courts for his opening match. But de Minaur wasn’t complaining and was ready to build momentum at the US Open.
“Again, it’s a little bit of adapting,” he said. “Because of the rain, there’s nothing you can do about it. You’ve just got to get out there, play your tennis match and, ultimately, if you win enough matches, you’re going to get out on the stadium court. So that’s the mindset.”
Alex de Minau (pictured right) defeated Andrea Guerrieri (pictured left) to reach the second round of the US Open. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)