NEW YORK — British No. 1 Katie Boulter has found herself at the center of a sexism storm following her first-round exit at the US Open, after a social media user suggested she should retire from tennis and "have babies" with her Australian tennis star fiancé, Alex de Minaur.
The inflammatory comment, posted on X (formerly Twitter) in response to a post about Boulter's 6-2, 6-3 loss to France's Diane Parry, sparked immediate and widespread condemnation from fans, fellow players, and sports commentators alike. The incident has reignited the conversation about the misogynistic and outdated commentary female athletes are still subjected to, often reducing their professional achievements to their personal relationships.
The Match and the Backlash
Boulter, who entered Flushing Meadows as the 61st-ranked player in the world and seeded 30th, was unable to find her rhythm against the formidable Parry. The Frenchwoman's heavy topspin forehand and consistent play proved too much on the Louis Armstrong Stadium court, ending Boulter's campaign in just over an hour.
It was in the aftermath of this professional setback that the now-deleted comment appeared. The user wrote: "She could retire now and have babies with Demon. She has done enough." The remark was swiftly screenshotted and shared across the platform, drawing universal scorn for its reductive and patronizing nature.
The backlash was swift and fierce. One user retorted, "Or she could continue her career as a professional athlete because that's her job and her passion? Wild concept, I know." Another pointedly added, "De Minaur lost in the first round too. Is anyone telling him to quit and become a stay-at-home dad?"
A Pattern of Problematic Commentary
This is far from an isolated incident for Boulter, or for female athletes in general. The 27-year-old Briton, who has been in a high-profile relationship with World No. 12 Alex de Minaur since 2021, often finds her career discussed in tandem with her partner's.
Common themes in coverage and social media chatter include:
- Comparisons of their rankings and prize money.
- Speculation about their wedding plans and future family.
- Questions directed at Boulter about de Minaur's performance, often overshadowing her own matches.
This incident echoes the treatment other tennis power couples have faced. When former World No. 1 Kim Clijsters married American basketball player Brian Lynch and later had a child, commentary frequently focused on her potential retirement. She famously returned to win the US Open as a mother in 2009. More recently, Serena Williams faced a relentless barrage of questions about her family plans throughout her career.
Boulter's Stellar 2024 Season
The suggestion that Boulter has "done enough" is particularly galling given her career-best season. The comment ignores a string of significant achievements that have solidified her status as Britain's top player.
Key highlights from her 2024 season include:
- Successfully defending her WTA 250 title in Nottingham, a huge milestone.
- Reaching the third round of Wimbledon for the first time in her career.
- Breaking into the world's top 30 for the first time.
This body of work represents the culmination of years of struggle, including a serious back injury that sidelined her for months and saw her ranking plummet outside the top 250. To suggest she should now walk away from the sport diminishes not only her current success but the immense resilience required to achieve it.
The Bigger Picture in Women's Sports
The incident highlights a persistent double standard in how male and female athletes are perceived. Male athletes are rarely, if ever, advised to abandon their careers for parenthood. Their professional ambitions are celebrated singularly, while women are often expected to balance, or even choose between, elite sport and family.
Tennis has actually been a leader in this area, with the WTA Tour introducing protected ranking rules for players returning from pregnancy. Champions like Clijsters, Williams, and Victoria Azarenka have powerfully demonstrated that motherhood and elite performance are not mutually exclusive.
Yet, as Boulter's experience shows, underlying societal attitudes remain slow to change. The value of a female athlete is still, at times, measured against archaic benchmarks that have no bearing on her male counterparts.
Moving the Conversation Forward
While the original comment was widely condemned, it serves as a stark reminder that sexism in sports commentary is not a relic of the past. It persists on social media, in casual conversation, and sometimes even in formal reporting.
The positive outcome of this incident was the volume and vehemence of the response. The collective rejection of the sexist trope shows a growing intolerance for such views. It reinforces the demand that female athletes be celebrated for their athletic prowess, their mental fortitude, and their professional records—first and foremost.
For her part, Katie Boulter has not publicly commented on the specific remark. She has, however, consistently presented herself as a dedicated and ambitious athlete focused on climbing the rankings and achieving her goals on the court. Her response to the US Open loss was typically professional, posting on social media, "Not the week I wanted. I’ll be back stronger. Thanks for all the support."
As both Boulter and de Minaur continue their careers at the highest level of tennis, the focus should rightly remain on their powerful serves, relentless groundstrokes, and competitive fire—not on reductive and outdated notions of a woman's place. The only thing Boulter is being told to "have" by her supporters is more success on the WTA tour.