Alex de Minaur was spotted fist-pumping the air after Katie Boulter surged to clinch 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 secured a first-round victory against American Alex Michelsen and had rushed over to watch Boulter straight after his match had finished.
While the tennis power couple are regularly seen supporting each other when competing, it was a particularly touching moment.
This year, the tennis power couple celebrated their four-year anniversary after having initially began dating back in March 2020.
And on Monday, the duo delighted tennis fans around the world, announcing that they were engaged with a picture on Instagram.
The pair were snapped smiling and hugging, with Boulter draping her arm around De Minaur’s neck, showing she was wearing a stunning engagement ring.
‘We’ve been keeping a small secret…’ they captioned the post.
Katie Boulter and Alex de Minaur surprised fans on Monday morning as they announced their engagement
The pair announced the amazing news on Monday adding that they had been keeping their engagement secret
It’s been an excellent year for the tennis couple, with both winning twice on the WTA and ATP Tours
It has been a remarkable year for both stars, with Boulter picking up wins in Nottingham and San Diego, while De Minaur was recently crowned champion at the Ultimate Tennis Showdown.
Both have never shied away from celebrating the other’s victories in the past, with De Minaur, 25, having paid a nod to Boulter at Wimbledon in 2022, after she bested Karolina Pliskova.
During a press conference, he told reporters: ‘Before we talk about my match, can we just talk about Katie Boulter today? I mean, she had a pretty good win herself.’
And after supporting each other over the past few years, the pair are quickly beginning to become two of the biggest players in the sport, considering their success on the court.
It is understood they began dating back in 2020 but officially announced their relationship on Instagram in 2021, when Boulter published a one-year anniversary snap of the pair on her social media accounts.
Boulter later revealed that the pair had known each other from playing on the pro tours but claimed a 6am coffee was where they first started dating.
Recounting when they first met, the 28-year-old, who is ranked No 24 on the WTA Tour, told The Age: ‘We bumped into each other at six in the morning and ended up getting a coffee.
‘From that moment, I knew I was in it for the long haul.’
She added: ‘Growing up, I was always super-close to my grandpa: I always said to myself that if I can find someone who has half his heart, I’ll be the luckiest woman in the world. I’ve found that person in Alex.
The pair are understood to have first started dating back in 2020 but they kep their blossoming relationship a secret in the early years
They are regularly seen at tournaments supporting one and other, with Boulter having spoken out on the touching advice her fiance gave to her after she crashed out of Wimbledon this year
‘He puts me before himself all the time and takes care of the people around him – his family and his team. He’s 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 on how they had kept their relationship a secret from the public eye.
‘Remember that time when we were having breakfast on like separate tables?’ Boulter asked her now fiance during an interview with Tennis TV.
‘We would rock down to breakfast at different times,’ De Minaur said.
‘Different times, like 10 minutes later,’ She added. ‘It’s so true, so people wouldn’t find out.’
‘It works every time,’ De Minaur replied.
The pair subsequently opened up on how they balanced their careers as pro tennis players alongside their relationship.
‘I think what was very important as well, early stages, was that we talked about tennis being our No 1 priority, and we would make all this work, just finding that balance,’ De Minaur said.
They will face off against each other at the United Cup in January but Boulter stated that they share a helthy 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: ‘Like, I thought it was going to be quite tough.’
‘That was the tough part I think, the very start of the relationship was quite hard,’ Boulter said.
‘Now sadly, we’re spending more time together,’ De Minaur teased his fiancee, who replied: ‘I’m a great addition.’
The pair also reflected on their sensational ascension 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 making top ten [in the ATP rankings].’
But she has also paid tribute to De Minaur for helping pick her up after some tough defeats.
After being knocked out of Wimbledon in the round of 64 this year by her rival Hannah Dart, she revealed the six words of support her partner gave to her that helped her bounce back after the defeat.
‘One match doesn’t define my career. That’s the first thing he [de Minaur] said to me when I got off the court,’ a shattered Boulter told reporters post-match after suffering the 4-6 6-1 7-6 (10-8) defeat.
Back in 2022, Boulter spoke out on how much De Minaur has supported her over the years, admitting she was ‘lucky to have him’
Boulter defended her Nottingham Open crown earlier this year before going on to win in San Diego
De Minaur won back in February at the Acapulco Open, before going on to win in the Netherlands and more 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.’
Back in 2022, Boulter spoke out on how much De Minaur has supported her over the years.
‘He’s so supportive of me in the job that I do and completely understands,’ she told The Evening Standard.
‘Not many people do. To have that kind of connection where they know what you’re going through, they know the lows and highs, it does feel very comforting. I’m lucky to have him.’
She too is regularly seen cheering the Australian on during matches, with the 28-year-old spotted in the stands at Wimbledon earlier this year watching De Minaur surge into the quarter-finals of the men’s singles after he beat Arthur Fils.
But the pair will go head-to-head at the beginning of January as Australia lock horns with Great Britain at the United Cup.
They had faced a similar situation last year, and Boulter added she ‘wasn’t thrilled’ by the idea of facing De Minaur again.
‘I wouldn’t say I was thrilled at the idea of playing him all over again,’ she said.
‘I wouldn’t say I was thrilled at the idea of playing him all over again,’ Boulter said ahead of the United Cup but added that they will support each other and do everything to win
The tennis power couple celebrated thier fourth year anniversary this year
‘He’s a top 10 player and he knows how to play tennis, so there’s one side of it. Then there’s the personal side of it which is difficult but also great for bragging rights.
‘I’m looking forward to the match and I think it’s going to be a great atmosphere. Playing Australia is always going to be fun. We’re definitely going to be the underdogs so let’s put pressure on them.’
When pressed on the draw, De Minaur added: ‘I don’t know how to explain it. It’s almost surreal that it’s a whole year later and here we are again.’
‘It’s going to be interesting once again. Hopefully we can play some good tennis.
‘It’s not my ideal, but it is the luck of the draw.’
Boulter admitted though that the pair do like to throw banter around, even amidst their tennis rivalry. Earlier this year, she joked that De Minaur was in her bad books and called De Minaur out after he had failed to make it to watch her clinch the Nottingham Open this year.
Speaking on their rivalry ahead of the United Cup, Boulter said: ‘We take it really well,’ she said of the rivalry.
‘We do like to throw some banter each other’s way, and I think we handle it that way rather than any other way.
They will both be in Australia over the next few months for the United Cup and the 2025 Australian Open
‘We know we support each other. It’s such an important start to each other’s years and we’ll 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 out there cheering for me, but hey, you never know. People do surprise you.
‘I’m always supporting him and I support what he does. In that match, it’s a very unique situation and something that I’m not used to. We’ll just try to handle it the best we can.
‘I’ll be supporting him every single time from the box for the rest of the year.’
