‘Would have been different if she was on Center Court’: Friends blame ‘strange’ punch as Katie Boulter crashes out of Wimbledon after reaching third round
Katie Boulter’s Wimbledon dream ended on Court 2 . on Saturday
Her friends have spoken out, saying the Brit should have been on Center Court
The 25-year-old – who was beaten 6-1, 6-1 – appeared upset after her defeat
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Katie Boulter’s Wimbledon dream could have ended differently if she’d gotten one of the tournament’s show courts, her friends think.
The British number 3, who was knocked out of the competition in the third round yesterday, received an unexpected rejection when she was relegated from Center Court to Court 2 for her confrontation with France’s Harmony Tan.
Meanwhile, Coco Gauff played compatriot Amanda Anisimova at 1:30 p.m. at Center Court – a slot that Miss Boulter’s team said should have been reserved for her.
A friend said: ‘It certainly could have been different if she had played a little after 11 a.m. and on one of the show courts. Usually Wimbledon are good at reading the room, but not on this occasion.
“It seems very strange that a British hopeful who really caught the attention of the nation was put in such a cemetery.”
The British number 3, who was kicked out of the competition in the third round yesterday, was unexpectedly sniffed when she was relegated from Center Court to Court 2
The 25-year-old – who was beaten 6-1, 6-1 – appeared upset after her defeat, quickly packed up and left the field without greeting the fans.
She was also nowhere to be seen when her Australian boyfriend Alex de Minaur – with whom she recently moved in – defeated British hopeful Liam Broady at Court 1 yesterday afternoon.
Miss Boulter later admitted that she was disappointed that she hadn’t played on a bigger field, saying: ‘After all, I’m a tennis player. I really have no idea where I’ll be scheduled. I just have to respond to what I get.
“It’s a privilege to play in these fields, let alone the biggest courts. But hey, it’s great to be with your home crowd again.
“I would always like to be in the biggest arena I could possibly be in. Unfortunately that wasn’t today.’
Meanwhile, Miss Tan admitted she was relieved not to play against her rival on Center Court.
In a post-match interview, she said: ‘When you play a Brit on Center Court, I think there’s a lot of people out there for her. I like to play on a small court. I also like to play the first game, you know, because I don’t wait all day.’
France’s Harmony Tan celebrates victory against Britain’s Katie Boulter at the end of their women’s singles tennis match on day six of Wimbledon
The allegations came as Miss Boulter’s fans shared their anger that Miss Gauff was getting a plum lock and court, with some suggesting that Wimbledon favors her.
The 18-year-old’s match, which started at 1:30 p.m. yesterday, is said to have been screened at 8:30 a.m. on the US East Coast. One fan said: ‘It’s really disappointing to see Katie Boulter on Court 2 and Wimbledon’s obsession with Coco Gauff on Center Court. It doesn’t seem fair.’
Tennis sources suggest that tournament bosses see Miss Gauff as a future superstar of the game as the Williams sisters do.
The 25-year-old – who was beaten 6-1, 6-1 – appeared upset after her defeat, quickly packed up and left the field without greeting fans
A Wimbledon spokesperson defended the schedule yesterday, saying it will take into account several factors, including requests from global broadcast partners. The US networks are known to prefer their stars to play when America is awake.
A spokesperson said: “Planning The Championships is a complex operation and takes a number of factors into account.
“As far as tomorrow’s schedule is concerned, considerations were given to matchups with former champions and top leaguers, requests from global broadcast partners and consideration for players competing in more than one event.”