Alex de Minaur and Katie Boulter announced their engagement on Monday, but in a few weeks they could be competing against each other on the tennis court.
The couple beamed as they surprised their Instagram followers on Monday and announced they had ‘kept a secret’ that the 25-year-old Australian tennis star had popped the question.
It has been a whirlwind year for both players who have achieved great success on both the ATP and WTA Tours, with the tennis power couple taking two titles each, while De Minaur also won the Ultimate Tennis Championship in December.
But the pair will battle it out again now that Australia and Great Britain have been drawn into the same group for the United Cup, which starts on December 27.
Great Britain and Australia are set to go head-to-head on the final day of the round robin, and there’s a good chance Boulter, 28, and De Minaur could go head-to-head in the mixed doubles, after the singles tie.
“I wouldn’t say I was happy with the idea of playing against him again,” Boulter told Eurosport.
Katie Boulter and Alex de Minaur announced on Instagram that they were engaged on Monday
On Tuesday, Boulter shared photos of her and De Minaur during a coastal walk after their engagement
But the tennis power couple could face off against each other in the United Cup next week
“He’s a top 10 player and he knows how to play tennis, so there’s one side to it. Then there’s the personal side of it, which is hard, but also great for bragging rights.
‘I’m obviously looking forward to the match and I think it will be a great atmosphere.
“Playing Australia will always be fun. It’s a new opportunity for us. We will definitely be the underdogs, so let’s keep the pressure on them.”
It is not the first time they have faced each other at the tournament, with both of them present in Great Britain and Australia during the 2024 edition of the tournament, with Boulter and Cameron Norrie taking victory for Team GB.
The pair met off-court in doubles last January, with Storm Hunter and Matt Ebden beating Boulter and Neal Skupski at the RAC Arena in Perth.
This year, Boulter will take on Olivia Gadecki in the women’s singles, before De Minaur takes on Jack Draper in the men’s event.
De Minaur added: ‘It’s surreal. It’s a whole year later and here we are again – almost the same opponents.
‘It’s getting interesting again. Hopefully we can play good tennis.
Boulter admitted she was “not happy” with the idea of hiring her new fiancé next week
Australia and Great Britain faced each other at the United Cup in 2024, but De Minaur and Boulter did not face each other in the mixed doubles
“It’s not my ideal, but it’s the luck of the draw.”
Many from the sports world took to Instagram on Monday to congratulate the couple on their engagement, including British star Emma Raducanu and Australian player Thanasi Kokkinakis, who joked that it was “about damn time.”
Boulter and De Minaur are known for supporting each other when they appear in court. The Australian notably rushed across Roland Garros after his first round victory at this year’s French Open against Alex Michelsen to face Boulter in her late-night match against Paula Badosa.
Although they will both look to seal victory for their national side next week, Boulter said the pair have a healthy rivalry.
“We think it’s really good,” she said of the rivalry.
“We like to tease each other a little bit, and I think we go about it that way rather than some other way.
‘We know we support each other. It’s such an important start to each other’s years and we will always do everything we can for our country.
“At the end of the day, we’re still going to go home, be together and get through it together.”
The pair trained together in Australia this week ahead of the Australian summer swing
They are regularly seen supporting each other at tournaments, with Boulter having spoken out about the touching advice her fiancé gave her after crashing out of Wimbledon this year.
She added that while they enjoy a healthy rivalry, she said bragging rights were at stake
Boulter added, “I don’t think he’ll cheer for me, but people might surprise you…” She said with a smile. ‘But hey, you never know.
‘Obviously I always support him. I support what he does. In that match it is a very unique situation, something I am not used to.
“We’ll try to deal with it as best we can and I’ll be backing him from the box every time for the rest of the year, so we’ll see what happens.”
While the pair will quickly refocus their attention on the Australian Open later in January, Boulter said there will be plenty of bragging rights at stake.
‘I have seen the atmosphere it creates for him and I know how much he loves this pitch. He keeps telling me it’s his court,” she said.
“So if we can beat the Aussies, it will be my court.”