Katie Boulter has revealed she was followed and threatened in recent years.
Explaining that “people have sometimes followed me” over the past 18 months, the 28-year-old British number one opened up about an experience at Queen’s where, after meeting up with boyfriend and fellow tennis star Alex de Minaur, someone followed her in a car.
In the interview, she also talks about receiving threats while competing in a tournament, saying: “One time in Nottingham, someone sent me a message on social media saying, ‘I’m out .’ I’ll hurt you if you go outside,'” she told the Guardian. “I alerted the WTA, and they found the guy, who was actually there.
“Things like this happen all the time. We are obviously very well protected, which makes you feel safe. The WTA does a great job of being there for you. I feel like we’re protected as much as possible, which gives you at least some reassurance.
Boulter sadly described such incidents as “pretty normal these days”.
In July, the American tennis player Danielle Collins spoke exclusively to Telegraph Sport about her experience with stalkers, saying, “I don’t think it’s something that’s talked about a lot, but a lot of us had safety issues while on tour. I have experienced different situations over the years. It’s never fun feeling like you’re looking over your shoulder.
In 2022, a man, Amrit Magar, 35, was given a five-year banning order and found guilty of stalking fellow tennis star Emma Raducanu.
Magar allegedly walked 23 miles to Raducanu’s home in London, then took his father’s shoe as a souvenir, wrongly believing it to be Raducanu’s. At the time, the former US Open champion said: “Because of this, I feel like my freedom has been taken away. I’m constantly looking over my shoulder. I feel nervous and afraid it might happen again. I don’t feel safe in my own home, that’s where I should feel safest.
Boulter could potentially face partner De Minaur in the United Cup, with Great Britain pitted against Australia for the event which takes place in late December and early January. The British team consists of Boulter and Jack Draper, while the Australian team consists of De Minaur and Olivia Gadecki.
