- Katie Boulter lost her second round match at Wimbledon
- Wasted countless match points against Harriet Dart
- Boulter’s friend Alex de Minaur had some good advice after the race
Australian tennis star Alex De Minaur had six simple words for his girlfriend Katie Boulter after her heartbreaking second-round defeat at Wimbledon: “One match doesn’t define your career.”
It followed Boulter, 27,’s dramatic defeat to compatriot Harriet Dart on the Number One Court at the All England Club.
The 32nd seed lost a number of match points in the third set, with rival Dart bursting into tears and Boulter leading 6-2 in the final tiebreak.
Dart, 27, recovered to win eight of the last 10 points in remarkable fashion to reach the third round after an incredible three-hour victory, 4-6 6-1 7-6 (10-8).
‘One match doesn’t define my career. That’s the first thing he [de Minaur] “he said to me when I came off the field,” a devastated Boulter told reporters after the match.
“He knows what he’s talking about. It’s not his first rodeo. He’s been through it all, and I’m lucky to have that support.”
Some fans called Darts’ on-court behaviour ‘unsportsmanlike’, while others claimed she was using ‘crocodile tears’ to turn the momentum in her favour.
De Minaur saw the drama unfold in Boulter’s players’ box, just 45 minutes into an impressive performance against Spaniard Jaume Munar.
Australian tennis star Alex De Minaur had six simple words for his girlfriend Katie Boulter after her heartbreaking second round defeat at Wimbledon: ‘One match doesn’t define your career’
It followed the 27-year-old Boulter’s dramatic defeat to fellow countrywoman Harriet Dart on the Number One Court at the All England Club, where she lost numerous match points
Boulter will now back her love as he faces a seemingly easy path to a potential quarter-final against Novak Djokovic
Earlier, De Minaur reached the third round in the men’s singles, after a convincing 6-2 6-2 7-5 victory over Munar.
“It’s never easy to play under these conditions and decide a match,” said the world number 9.
“I played great tennis.”
He will now face Frenchman Lucas Pouille, number 212 in the world, after Australian Thanasi Kokkinakis was injured in the third set and had to withdraw.
If Sydneysider de Minaur continues his impressive form, he could face second-seeded Novak Djokovic in the quarter-finals.