The race for the British No. 1 women’s tennis ranking has become a thrilling subplot in the 2025 season, with Katie Boulter and Emma Raducanu locked in a dynamic, yet friendly, competition. Boulter, the 29-year-old former British No. 1, recently addressed this intense rivalry with characteristic grace, praising Raducanu’s resurgence while vowing to fight her way back to the top spot. As the tennis world turns its attention to the upcoming US Open, where both players are set to compete, Boulter’s reflections on their battle reveal a blend of camaraderie and competitive fire that is pushing British women’s tennis to new heights.
Raducanu, the 22-year-old 2021 US Open champion, has reclaimed the British No. 1 ranking, currently sitting at world No. 39, while Boulter has slipped to No. 50 after a challenging few weeks marked by illness and early tournament exits. The emergence of 23-year-old Sonay Kartal, ranked No. 48, has added another layer to this domestic tussle, with all three players within striking distance of each other in the WTA rankings. Despite her recent struggles, Boulter remains unfazed by the shifting hierarchy. “Honestly, I haven’t paid too much attention to it. It’s awesome that people are pushing themselves,” she told reporters, highlighting the positive impact of the competition. “The last few weeks have been tough. I have been sick, so my priority here is getting myself healthy and getting moving in the right direction.”
Boulter’s journey as Britain’s top female player began in June 2023, when she overtook Raducanu, who was sidelined by wrist and ankle surgeries. Holding the No. 1 spot for two years, Boulter enjoyed a career-high ranking of No. 23 and secured three WTA titles, including a standout WTA 500 victory in San Diego in 2024. Her powerful baseline game and relentless work ethic made her a mainstay at the top. However, Raducanu’s resurgence in 2025, fueled by a semi-final run at the Washington Open and a quarter-final appearance at the Miami Open, has seen her leapfrog Boulter. Their head-to-head clash at the 2024 Nottingham Open, where Boulter battled back from a set down to win 6-7, 6-3, 6-4, underscored the intensity of their rivalry, even as they maintain a strong off-court bond.
The duo’s camaraderie was evident at the Queen’s Club Championships earlier this year, where they teamed up for doubles, securing a 6-4, 6-2 victory in their first match. Raducanu, signing the camera “Long live Boultercanu” after a singles win, expressed her delight in their partnership: “I’m really happy to kind of be able to get myself through this one. And yeah, I really want to play with Katie again in the future.” Their joint practice sessions before Wimbledon and shared support during tournaments highlight a relationship built on mutual respect. “Having Katie in front, it was nice for me to have something to chase,” Raducanu said. “Now I’m sure she’s going to enjoy that with me. We have a healthy competition between us two. I want to see her do well; she wants to see me do well.”
Boulter’s recent form, however, has been hampered by health setbacks. Since her second-round exit at Wimbledon, she has suffered first-round losses at the DC Open, Montreal, and most recently, the Cincinnati Open, where she fell 0-6, 5-7 to Serbia’s Olga Danilovic. Had she advanced, she would have faced Raducanu in a blockbuster second-round match. Instead, Raducanu progressed, only to lose to world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in the third round. Boulter, undeterred, is now looking ahead to the US Open, where she hopes to make a statement in both singles and mixed doubles alongside her fiancé, Alex de Minaur. “If the US Open are watching this… I am not doing that,” she joked about their wildcard bid for mixed doubles. “No, it would be a privilege to play. It would be nice to get on the court with him.”
The rise of Kartal, who reached the fourth round at Wimbledon and won her first WTA title this year, has further energized British women’s tennis. Boulter sees this as a positive force, noting, “I don’t feel like I necessarily had that many people around me when I was coming through, so I’m a little bit jealous of them having people to push them constantly.” As the trio prepares for the Billie Jean King Cup Finals in Shenzhen, where they’ll face Japan in the quarter-finals, their collective strength promises to make Great Britain a formidable contender. For Boulter, the battle for British No. 1 is less about personal glory and more about collective growth. With Raducanu leading the charge and Kartal hot on their heels, the stage is set for a thrilling US Open, where these British stars will aim to make history.
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