Katie Boulter has revealed that she has received threats and been followed home while competing in the UK.

The British No. 1 recalled a scary incident after picking up her boyfriend, fellow tennis star Alex de Minaur, from the Queen’s Club in London.

Boulter was also forced to get the WTA involved when someone told her they would “hurt” her during the Nottingham Open.

Boulter has reached new heights this season, picking up her first WTA 500 title in San Jose and defending her crown in Nottingham before ending the year at a career-high ranking of No. 24.

With her success has come more attention. But Boulter has also discovered the downside to becoming well-known, as she opened up on a terrifying experience with a stalker.

“People have followed me at times,” the three-time title winner told the Guardian. “I actually went to go and pick up Alex from Queen’s, and I had someone follow me in the car.

“We went to Sloane Square, got out, went for a walk around the shops and stuff and the same car was following me home. I was with Alex, so it was absolutely fine, but yeah, it wasn’t the best feeling.”

It’s not the only concerning encounter Boulter has faced as she found herself under threat while competing at the grass-court tournament in Nottingham, where she is a two-time defending champion.

The world No. 24 explained: “One time in Nottingham, I had someone messaging me on social media saying, ‘I’m outside. I’m going to hurt you if you come outside.’”

Unfortunately, it’s a regular occurrence for Boulter and other WTA stars. But she says the women’s tennis tour has stepped up.

“Obviously I alerted the WTA, and they found the guy, who was actually on site,” Boulter continued.

“Things like this happen all the time. Obviously we are very well protected, which makes you feel safe. The WTA does a great job of being there for you with that.

“I do feel like we are protected as much as possible, which at least puts your mind at ease a little bit. It’s kind of normal nowadays. It’s a weird world sometimes.”

Boulter isn’t the only British tennis star who has encountered a stalker. In 2022, a man was given a five-year restraining order after turning up at Emma Raducanu’s family home multiple times.

A court heard that Raducanu was left to feel as though she was “constantly looking over her shoulder”.