Katie Boulter displays British rule with Nottingham title

Katie Boulter beat compatriot Jodie Burrage in the women’s final at the Nottingham Open on Sunday to retain her status as the British No. 1.

Boulter needed 1 hour, 13 minutes to claim a dominant 6-3, 6-3 victory in the first all-British WTA final since 1977. She is from nearby Leicester and considers this her home tournament.

“I dreamed of this moment, to win this tournament, as a little girl when I was 4 years old,” said Boulter, who earned her title on the WTA Tour. “Having come here as a fan and now as a player and somehow found a way to win it means more than everything to me. I’ve played so many British players, we appreciate an all-British final, and what an incredible achievement it is.”

Boulter had 13 winners to six for Burrage, who hadn’t reached a WTA quarterfinal until this week.

The last time two British women featured in a WTA Tour final was when Sue Barker played Virginia Wade in San Francisco in February 1977.

Boulter improved to 3-0 against Burrage and will move into the top 80, the first time she has been in the top 100 since 2019.

Boulter surged to a 3-0 lead in the first set thanks to an early break. She broke again but missed her first chance to serve out the set only to quickly settle any nerves by breaking Burrage for a third time to take the opener.

Another early break in the second set tightened Boulter’s grip on the match. She won on her second championship point.

Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.