HSBC Championships 2026: Katie Boulter says Elena Rybakina win is ‘up there’ with her best results
• 3 minute read
Katie Boulter’s campaign at the HSBC Championships reached new heights after recording a career-best win over Elena Rybakina to see her into the semi-finals for the first time.
Boulter – who saved 12 break points in the match – put in one of the greatest performances of her career to knock out the world No.2 and two-time Grand Slam champion 7-5, 2-6, 6-4 in front of a roaring British crowd.
Her biggest win by ranking and second top-five victory of her career, Boulter reflected on the significance of this match in her post-match press conference.
“I think it's up there,” Boulter said when asked whether this was the best match of her career. “It's definitely one of a few. I think the occasion, the place, the crowd, the moment against her as a champion, it definitely felt like I wanted to take it to her and test myself.
“I think I did an unbelievable job with that. I saved so many break points, and I think that was a testament to how tough I wanted to be out there.
“I rose to the occasion, and I allowed myself the chance to come out and play some really good stuff today.”
Coming into the match, Boulter had lost both her previous matches against Rybakina, including a straight-sets defeat at Wimbledon in 2023.
It’s a result that seems to have stuck with Boulter over the following years and the British No.2 was more than pleased to get one over the Kazakh.
“I think my goal today was to play better than I did last time in Wimbledon,” Boulter said. “I felt like I really let the occasion get to me that time, and I wanted to prove to myself and also to other people, as well, that I'm a better tennis player than that match.
“That one scarred me a little bit, and I wanted to come out today and prove that I can swing and I can just go for it, because I didn't let myself go for it in the last one. I allowed her to play some of her best tennis.
“She's No. 2 in the world for a reason. She's got incredible weapons. I just tried to keep it as close as possible. That was my plan going into it. Just commit, go for it, and use my own weapons.
Today’s match was not only a physical test, but a mental one as well coming off the back of playing her second round earlier in the morning.
Boulter wasted little time and put in a dominant performance to see off Jaqueline Cristian 6-1, 6-3 on Court 1 ahead of the prospect of playing the world No.2.
Getting that preparation right in between matches can be a tough ask when competing at the highest level, but Boulter took it in her stride.
The stats show that her performance got better the longer she spent on court, with her forehand shot quality rising from 6.3 to 8.8/10 from set one to set three in the quarter-final.
Boulter was happy with her performance and the win late on Friday night but hopes this can be the spark that sees her return amongst the world’s top-30.
“It's been a really long day,” Boulter added. “I can't forget that I played a great match this morning, as well. I think that was some of the better tennis I have played. Obviously, a totally different match-up this evening.
“I do feel like I have been building for a while. I think sometimes it's just about the right moment and the right time. I think today was that moment.
“I'm very pleased with where I'm going and the progress that I'm making, but I want more. I'm not done yet, and no matter what happens this week, I'm still trying to build for the rest of the season.
“I want to get myself back to where I was before and also surpass that. I truly believe that I can do much more than that. Wins like today do help me believe in that.”
How to watch the Queen's tennis semi-finals
You can watch Katie Boulter vs Donna Vekic in the Queen's tennis semi-final on Saturday 13 June live on the BBC and BBC digital services.
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