Katie Boulter starts first tennis match as British No. 1 in Nottingham home tournament

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Credit: PA

This week will be a first for Leicester's Katie Boulter. 

The 26 year old will be starting a tournament for the first time as British No.1 and there won't be a better way to celebrate that than with a local tournament that's become a favourite of players on the circuit.

I imagine that this was an aim of hers since she started playing tennis aged just five years old!

There will be a lot of interest when Katie plays this week in Nottingham having replaced Grand Slam winner Emma Raducanu as No.1, thanks in part to her getting to the semi finals in last week's Lexus Surbiton tournament.

And the new position is really a fantastic achievement. 

Raducanu has held top spot for two years and in replacing her, Katie becomes the 23rd woman to be at the top of the British rankings since records began in 1975. She follows in the footsteps of other big names such as the late Elena Baltacha, Johanna Konta, Heather Watson (who is here competing this week) and Laura Robson (who is the Nottingham Tournament Director). 

As well as playing for Great Britain in the Billie Jean Cup, she's won six singles titles. 

There's also been 12 months of progression for Katie- reaching the 3rd Round of Wimbledon and the Quarter Finals in Birmingham, whilst Finals have come in Japan there was a title in Canberra too. 

But she also recognises that being British number one is no guarantee to success, saying that her goal is to improve her World Ranking- her highest was 82 in 2019 and she's currently 126th in the world. 

Katie Boulter during a practice session on day two of the 2023 Lexus Surbiton Trophy. Credit: PA

She'll also be aware of the spotlight that comes with the territory. Since Emma Raducanu's US Open win and subsequent rise, her game and indeed herself, have come under intense scrutiny. The ranking comes with an expectation, especially over the grass court season and Wimbledon, where the home crowd want and to a certain degree, expect a good showing. 

To enter Wimbledon as British No.1 will be special and without Raducanu there, a lot of the home attention will be on Katie. 

Johanna Konta holds the record for the most time spent at No.1- six years in fact! But the good news is that Katie most definitely has time on her side.

A fan of Leicester City who had a disaster of a season, she'll be hoping for better luck across the summer and at Wimbledon, before heading into the hard court season and the US Open later this year.