Boulter & Burrage Make History As First All-British WTA Final Since 1977

Sunday, 18 June 2023 at 08:20

Updated at Wednesday, 09 July 2025 at 13:36

byZachary Wimer

A very odd week in Nottingham couldn't finish any other way but with another oddity, and that is the first all-British WTA final since 1977.

Tennis fans in Nottingham this week had a real roller-coaster ride. The grass event in Nottingham certainly delivered on a lot of great moments and one dark one.

The city was hit with attacks on Tuesday that saw three people lose their lives and three more injured. Despite that play went ahead as the situation was under control.

Then, the event organizers were blasted by a player for changing surfaces during qualifiers due to rain. Norwegian player Ulrikke Eikeri also managed to produce an unusual shot, and finally, fans could witness a tense handshake between Harriet Dart and Katie Boulter.

The latter made the final by beating Heather Watson and will face compatriot Jodie Burrage in the final. It will be the first all-British final since 1977.

Read also

It's the second record at this event for British tennis, as previously, fans saw four British women in a WTA quarter-final for the first time in history. It means a lot to Katie Boulter, who is now the new British number one.

"It means so much to me, especially here. I just tried to put my heart on the line, and I managed to get through it in the end. She's an incredible player and I knew it was going to be a brutal match. She's an amazing girl and she deserved it just as much as I did, so it was so nice to see us out here playing semis."

"I've worked so hard for this, me and my team especially. I'm going to just keep plugging away. Even if it isn't my moment, it's been a great week for me, and I'm just going to keep working hard."