Katie Boulter Looks to Regain Form with Sharapova's Former Coach Michael Joyce.
British tennis player Katie Boulter is taking a fresh approach to her season after a tumultuous 2024, which saw her drop from a career-high ranking of No. 23 at the end of 2024 to 113. Desperate for an improvement, she has joined forces with Michael Joyce, the former coach of Maria Sharapova.
Boulter's decision to part ways with her longtime coach Biljana Veselinovic was motivated by her disappointing season in which she struggled with injuries. With Joyce on board, Boulter is hoping to rediscover her best form and return to the top of the WTA Tour.
"I always really liked him," said Boulter about Joyce. "I thought he's done a great job with other players... Jessie [Jessie Pegula], Ashlyn [Krueger]. I feel like he's someone that I didn't get to know much until I spent time with him on court, and I really like his style." The new partnership has so far shown promise as Boulter reported feeling "calm" during their first sessions together.
Boulter will face Belinda Bencic in her main draw debut but is approaching the match with a positive mindset. She believes that having a new coach and setup has given her a fresh start, which she feels is necessary after struggling at the end of last year.
Meanwhile, British tennis player Cameron Norrie will be competing in a grand slam tournament for the first time as the highest-ranked British player. After a resurgent 2024 season where he rose from No. 91 to 28, Norrie said that making good changes with his team helped him build momentum throughout the summer.
Norrie's latest victory over Carlos Alcaraz at the Paris Masters was significant, helping him finish the year on a high note. The British player is now looking forward to facing Benjamin Bonzi in his first round match.
British tennis player Katie Boulter is taking a fresh approach to her season after a tumultuous 2024, which saw her drop from a career-high ranking of No. 23 at the end of 2024 to 113. Desperate for an improvement, she has joined forces with Michael Joyce, the former coach of Maria Sharapova.
Boulter's decision to part ways with her longtime coach Biljana Veselinovic was motivated by her disappointing season in which she struggled with injuries. With Joyce on board, Boulter is hoping to rediscover her best form and return to the top of the WTA Tour.
"I always really liked him," said Boulter about Joyce. "I thought he's done a great job with other players... Jessie [Jessie Pegula], Ashlyn [Krueger]. I feel like he's someone that I didn't get to know much until I spent time with him on court, and I really like his style." The new partnership has so far shown promise as Boulter reported feeling "calm" during their first sessions together.
Boulter will face Belinda Bencic in her main draw debut but is approaching the match with a positive mindset. She believes that having a new coach and setup has given her a fresh start, which she feels is necessary after struggling at the end of last year.
Meanwhile, British tennis player Cameron Norrie will be competing in a grand slam tournament for the first time as the highest-ranked British player. After a resurgent 2024 season where he rose from No. 91 to 28, Norrie said that making good changes with his team helped him build momentum throughout the summer.
Norrie's latest victory over Carlos Alcaraz at the Paris Masters was significant, helping him finish the year on a high note. The British player is now looking forward to facing Benjamin Bonzi in his first round match.
I'm not sure if Boulter made the right call joining Michael Joyce as her coach 
. I mean, Sharapova's form has been pretty inconsistent in recent years 
. And what about Veselinovic? Did she just lose her touch or was it a case of coaching no longer being effective? 
! shes been thru so much this year and i feel her needin some new guidance with michael joyce 
. he worked w/ maria sharapova and jessie pegula, so hes def got the skills to get Katie back on top 
. now lets see if this new partnership brings us some big wins & a return to form for our girl 
️. And I gotta love the positive vibe she's got going on now - calm and focused during their first sessions together 
. Let's see how it plays out, but I'm rooting for her to make a comeback! 
... but with this new setup, maybe we'll see her rise again 
. And can we talk about Cameron Norrie for a sec? That comeback kid is giving me life 
! He went from being ranked 91 all the way up to 28, that's some serious momentum building right there 
. Now let's see if he can keep it up against Benjamin Bonzi... fingers crossed for a Brit win 
maybe she just needs a change of scenery or something? didn't work out so well with biljana veselinovic last year, but hey at least she's trying new things 
she went from 23 in the world to 113? that's like me going from loving vinyl records to only listening to streaming services haha 
anyway seriously though, hiring Michael Joyce is a big move for her and I hope she can turn things around now. i mean, Sharapova had some great years with him so fingers crossed he can do the same for Katie 
I love how she's taking things one step at a time and focusing on having fun on court 
can't wait to see what this new partnership brings 
cameron norrie got lucky w/ them changes 2 his team idk if thats wht made him rise or jus luck 
and i'm still trying to get used to being home lol what's with all these tennis players changing coaches though? like, doesn't it kinda feel weird to have someone new on your team when you're competing against people you've been playing for years 
... i mean, what's going through her head over there? does she even know how to get back into form now? 
I feel for her tho, injuries can be so frustrating, but now she's got a fresh start which is exactly what she needs 
.