Katie Boulter questions compatibility with Alex De Minaur after French Open upset

Katie Boulter has jokingly questioned how compatible she is with her boyfriend after he reached the quarter-final of the French Open. Alex De Minaur upset fifth seed Daniil Medvedev on Monday and declared: “I love the clay.”

But Boulter, who has been dating the world No. 11 for four years, doesn’t have a great relationship with the clay. She still hasn’t won a match on the surface at WTA Tour or Grand Slam level.

Meanwhile, De Minaur is becoming something of a “clay specialist” after recording his joint-best result at a Major in Paris.

After her boyfriend sent Medvedev packing, Boulter shared a video of De Minaur’s gutsy win to her Instagram story. “I’m just not sure we are compatible anymore,” she wrote, adding a laughing emoji. “He’s a clay dog now.”

The British No. 1 crashed out in the first round of the French Open after leading Spain’s Paula Badosa by a set and a break. The former world No. 2 stormed back to win 4-6 7-5 6-4.

But it’s a different story for De Minaur, who has reached his second Grand Slam quarter-final almost four years after making the last eight at the 2020 US Open. The 25-year-old sent Medvedev packing in the fourth round on Monday, coming back from a set down to win 4-6 6-2 6-1 6-3.

After sealing the victory, De Minaur raised his arms into the air and shouted: “I love the clay! I love it here!” He’s the first Australian man to reach the last eight at Roland Garros since Lleyton Hewitt in 2004.

After the match, the 11th seed admitted that it was likely his best-ever Grand Slam win - something surprising given his previous feelings on the clay. “Yeah, it's pretty extraordinary, if you ask me,” he said.

“You know, I always thought that to me to play well on the clay I needed hot, lively conditions. But, you know, this whole tournament has proven otherwise, right? It's been a complete shock to the system, to everything I ever believed in.”