Alex de Minaur was seen shaking her fist in the air after Katie Boulter managed to win the first set of her French Open clash against Paula Badosa in May.
The Australian, who is ranked ninth on the ATP Tour, had just earned a first-round victory against American Alex Michelsen and rushed to see Boulter as soon as his match ended.
While the tennis power couple is regularly seen supporting each other when they compete, it was a particularly touching moment.
This year, the tennis power couple celebrated their fourth anniversary after initially starting dating in March 2020.
And on Monday, the duo delighted tennis fans around the world by announcing they were engaged with a photo on Instagram.
The couple were photographed smiling and hugging, with Boulter putting his arm around De Minaur’s neck, showing that she was wearing a stunning engagement ring.
“We’ve been keeping a little secret…” they captioned the post.
Katie Boulter and Alex de Minaur surprised fans on Monday morning when they announced their engagement.
The couple announced the surprising news on Monday, adding that they had kept their engagement a secret.
It has been an excellent year for the tennis couple, both winning twice on the WTA and ATP Tours.
It’s been a banner year for both stars, with Boulter taking victories in Nottingham and San Diego, while De Minaur was recently crowned champion at the Ultimate Tennis Showdown.
The two have never shied away from celebrating each other’s victories in the past, and De Minaur, 25, gave Boulter a nod at Wimbledon in 2022 after beating Karolina Pliskova.
During a press conference, he told reporters: ‘Before we talk about my match, can we talk about Katie Boulter today? I mean, she got a pretty good win herself.
And after supporting each other over the past few years, the pair are quickly starting to become two of the biggest players in the sport, considering their success on the court.
They are understood to have started dating in 2020, but officially announced their relationship on Instagram in 2021, when Boulter posted a snap of the couple’s first anniversary on her social media accounts.
Boulter later revealed that the pair knew each other because they played on the professional tours, but claimed that a 6am coffee was where they started dating.
Recounting when they met, the 28-year-old, who is ranked 24th on the WTA Tour, told The Age: “We met at six in the morning and ended up having coffee.
“From that moment on, I knew I was in this for the long haul.”
She added: “As a child, I was always very close to my grandfather: I always told myself that if I can find someone who has half of his heart, I will be the luckiest woman in the world.” I found that person in Alex.
The pair are understood to have started dating in 2020 but kept their blossoming relationship under wraps for the first few years.
They are regularly seen at tournaments supporting each other, and Boulter spoke about the touching advice her fiancé gave her after she crashed at Wimbledon this year.
‘He puts me ahead of him all the time and looks after the people around him – his family and his team. He is my best example of what I want to be.’
But life in the spotlight hasn’t always been easy for the tennis duo who spoke out earlier this year about how they had kept their relationship a secret from the public eye.
‘Do you remember that time when we were having breakfast at separate tables?’ Boulter asked her now-fiancé during an interview with Tennis TV.
“We would sit down to breakfast at different times,” De Miñaur said.
“Different moments, like 10 minutes later,” he added. “It’s so true that people wouldn’t know.”
“It always works,” De Minaur responded.
The couple later talked about how they balanced their careers as professional tennis players with their relationship.
“I think what was also very important, in the early stages, was that we talked about tennis being our number one priority, and we would make all of this work, just finding that balance,” De Miñaur said.
They will meet in the United Cup in January, but Boulter said they share a healthy rivalry.
Stars from the tennis world took to Instagram to congratulate the couple (pictured), including Emma Raducanu and Thanasi Kokkinakis.
“Yeah, that was huge,” Boulter added.
De Minaur added: “I thought it was going to be quite difficult.”
“I think that was the difficult part, the very beginning of the relationship was quite difficult,” Boulter said.
“Now, unfortunately, we spend more time together,” De Minaur joked to his fiancée, who responded, “I’m a great addition.”
The pair also reflected on their sensational rise to the top of the WTA and ATP rankings, having gone from strength to strength over the past two years. Boulter joked: “I take full credit for you being in the top ten (in the ATP rankings).”
But she has also paid tribute to De Minaur for helping her bounce back after some tough defeats.
After being eliminated from Wimbledon in the round of 16 this year by her rival Hannah Dart, she revealed the six words of support her partner gave her that helped her recover from the defeat.
‘One match does not define my career. “That’s the first thing he (de Minaur) told me when I left the court,” a devastated Boulter told reporters after the match after suffering a 4-6, 6-1, 7-6 (10-8) defeat. ).
In 2022, Boulter spoke about how much De Minaur has supported her over the years and admitted that she was “lucky to have him”.
Boulter defended his Nottingham Open crown earlier this year before winning in San Diego.
De Minaur won in February at the Acapulco Open, before winning in Holland and, most recently, at the Ultimate Tennis Showdown.
‘He knows what he’s talking about. It’s not his first rodeo. “He’s been through it all before and I’m lucky to have that support.”
In 2022, Boulter spoke about how much De Minaur has supported her over the years.
“He is very supportive of the work I do and completely understands,” she told The Evening Standard.
‘Not many people do it. Having that kind of connection where they know what you’re going through, they know the ups and downs, it’s very comforting. I’m lucky to have it.
She is also regularly seen cheering on the Australian during matches, and the 28-year-old was spotted in the stands at Wimbledon earlier this year watching De Minaur advance to the quarter-finals of the men’s singles tournament after beating Arthur Fils.
But the pair will clash in early January when Australia take on Great Britain in the United Cup.
They had faced a similar situation last year and Boulter added that she was “not excited” about facing De Minaur again.
“I wouldn’t say I’m excited about playing him again,” he said.
“I wouldn’t say I’m excited about playing him again,” Boulter said before the United Cup, but added that they will support each other and do everything they can to win.
The tennis power couple celebrated their fourth anniversary this year.
‘He’s a top 10 player and he knows how to play tennis, so there’s a side. Then there’s the personal side, which is difficult but also great to show off.
“I’m really looking forward to the game and I think there will be a great atmosphere.” Playing in Australia will always be fun. “We are definitely going to be the underdogs, so let’s put pressure on them.”
When asked about the draw, De Minaur added: “I don’t know how to explain it. It’s almost surreal that a year has passed and here we are again.”
‘It’s going to be interesting once again. Hopefully we can play good tennis.
“It’s not my ideal, but it’s a matter of luck.”
Boulter admitted, however, that the couple like to joke around, even amid their tennis rivalry. Earlier this year, he joked that De Minaur was in his bad books and called out De Minaur after he failed to see her clinch the Nottingham Open this year.
Speaking about their rivalry ahead of the United Cup, Boulter said: “We took it very well,” he said of the rivalry.
‘We like to joke with each other, and I think we handle it that way and not any other way.
Both will be in Australia over the next few months for the United Cup and the 2025 Australian Open.
‘We know we support each other. It is a very important start to everyone’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 and be together and get through it together.
“I don’t think he’s going to be there cheering me on, but hey, you never know. People surprise you.
“I’m always supporting him and supporting what he does. In that game, it’s a unique situation and something I’m not used to. We’ll try to handle it the best we can.
“I will always support him from the box for the rest of the year.”