Great Britain’s Katie Boulter was knocked out of the Australian Open after losing in straight sets to Belinda Bencic in the first round.
World number 113 Boulter got a last-minute spot in the main draw but struggled against the Swiss 10th seed. She lost the first set 6-0 in just 26 minutes and, despite a stronger fight in the second set, fell 6-0 7-5. Bencic will face Daria Kasatkina or Nikola Bartunkova next.
Boulter had a tough 2025 season, dropping from 24th in the world to outside the top 100 and losing her British number one spot due to injuries. She recently changed coaches, parting ways with Biljana Veselinovic and now working with Michael Joyce, who guided Maria Sharapova to two Grand Slams.
Off the court, 2026 is a big year for Boulter as she prepares to marry Australian tennis star Alex de Minaur.
