The regular WTA season is now over, and the Australian Open is just around the corner. But before the calendar flips over, Katie Boulter has called for a rule change in the WTA as the British star faces a dilemma between protecting her body and maintaining her ranking before the new season arrives.

Boulter tore an abductor last month during her match against Alexandra Eala at the Hong Kong Open but is still not fully fit. However, in a recent chat with BBC Sport, Boulter revealed that it’s been hard to focus solely on recovery when her place in the WTA rankings is in jeopardy.

She explained, “If there are tournaments there, it gives you an opportunity because you want to make the main draw of Australia. I’m in this predicament myself right now, and it’s almost like I have to choose between my body or my ranking. I think I know my own right choice, but it’s difficult because it means that everyone else is going to be playing and passing me.”

The Brit is in a race against the clock to secure a place in the main draw of the 2026 Australian Open. Boulter is currently ranked 100th in the world, and the top 104 players receive direct entry into the women’s singles draw. However, because protected rankings are also included in this number, she is at serious risk of missing the cut in direct entry.

With the official entry list being set in December, Boulter could choose to enter a smaller tournament to boost her ranking and strengthen her chances of direct entry. One option she is considering is traveling to France to compete at the WTA 125 event in Angers during the first week of December.

Or she would be forced to go through qualifying at a major for the 1st time since 2023. This concern has brought renewed focus to the scheduling policies between the ATP and WTA tours. 

However, the men’s tour introduced a new rule this year, confirming that the entry list for the Australian Open would be based on rankings from November 18. The goal is to discourage players from competing late in the year and allow space for recovery and preparation.

Boulter believes a similar approach would benefit the WTA. She said, “I do think that would probably be the smart thing to do. There has to be somewhere where you draw the line and you give people an opportunity to recuperate and also get a good pre-season in. I feel like this year we’ve seen so many burnouts, and so many people not playing the end of year because of mental health issues as well as body issues, and I do think it contributes to it.”

And despite her current challenges and the uncertainty surrounding her entry into the Australian Open, Boulter remains determined. She has made it clear that her goal is not only to return but to climb higher in the WTA rankings once she is fully healthy again.

Katie Boulter opens up about her ambitions to reach the WTA’s top ranks

The 2025 season has been a challenging one for Katie Boulter. She won only 14 Tour-level main-draw matches and recently split with her coach, Biljana Veselinovic, after three years together. During their partnership, Boulter captured 3 WTA titles and reached new career milestones.

Yet, despite the separation, Boulter spoke highly of Veselinovic. “Biljana is an incredible coach, and an extremely good human as well, which makes things very difficult,” she added. “I think it was just time. I think we both felt that it was the right thing to do. We’ve accomplished so much together. I’m still going to be spending a lot of time talking to her, I think she’s a huge part of my team regardless.”

However, Boulter is determined to find someone with high-level experience who can guide her to the next stage of her career.

“Going forward with a new coach, one thing I’m very clear on is that they are going to be someone who has a lot of experience in how to make it to the very top level of this game,” she said.

She remains confident in her abilities and her potential to return to the top of the WTA rankings. “I’ve been ranked as high as 23 and I know I can get back there. I don’t think my level has gone anywhere, I think the consistency needs to improve.”

She made her ambitions very clear: “My goal is not to be ranked 50, 40, 30, 20 – we’ve been there. The goal is to be inside 20.”

As she now decides whether to compete in France or wait for the Australian Open draw, Boulter faces an important and strategic choice for her future.