Katie Boulter endured a difficult outing at the US Open, managing just a single game in a 58-minute straight-set loss to Karolina Muchova in the second round.
Originally slated for an outer court, the match was relocated to Louis Armstrong Stadium’s 14,000-capacity venue following heavy rain in New York.
Fans who secured a third match on their day session ticket may have felt short-changed, as Boulter succumbed to a swift 6-1, 6-0 defeat against the Czech seventh seed.
‘Ultimately, it was a bad day at the office – times two,’ Boulter remarked.
Boulter admitted struggling with the conditions, the roof noise, and distractions. ‘I let it get to me. I’m not usually aware of everything going on. It made me feel a little bit uncomfortable. I have to deal with it better,’ she said.
Fellow British player Jacob Fearnley also fell short of the third round, losing 6-3, 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 to Argentina’s Tomas Martin Etcheverry.
Francesca Jones had better fortune, defeating Poland’s Magda Linette in a first-round match resumed after Tuesday’s rain interruption.
Boulter’s serve was a liability, producing eight double faults and no aces, while winning just 33% of points behind her first serve.
Unable to defend any of the seven break points she faced, the 30-year-old compounded her struggles with 22 unforced errors against just four winners.
In contrast, Wimbledon runner-up Muchova delivered 14 winners and only nine unforced errors, impressing with sharp drop shots and piercing groundstrokes.
Former world number five Daniela Hantuchova told BBC Radio 5 Live, ‘If I were Boulter, I’d sit down with my team and say we need to change something big time.’
Hantuchova pointed to the serve as the primary issue, noting Boulter was losing rhythm and not using her legs. ‘If she still wants to invest everything into her tennis then she needs to be on the court,’ she advised.
Off the court, Boulter celebrated a summer wedding to Australia’s Alex de Minaur, the world number seven.
The season has been disappointing for world number 62 Boulter, who secured just two wins across the four Grand Slam tournaments.
Since a first-round Wimbledon exit, Boulter has won just two of six matches.
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