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Why Katie Boulter has made the right call skipping Eastbourne before Wimbledon this year
Katie Boulter won’t play Eastbourne before Wimbledon this summer.
After the Briton withdrew from the Nottingham Open, many expected her to take the trip to the south of England for the Eastbourne Open WTA 250 event.
However, in a surprising move, Boulter accepted a last-minute wild card into the WTA 500 tournament in Bad Homburg, Germany.
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A decision that could prove to be one of her best this year…
Katie Boulter has golden opportunity to boost her ranking at the Bad Homburg Open
While Boulter often plays events in the United Kingdom, like Eastbourne and Nottingham, it’s important to remember that the German alternatives offer more ranking points.
The winners of the Berlin Open and Bad Homburg Open will receive 500 points this year.
Now, with more ranking points on offer, you would expect the fields to be much stronger, but while that was the case in Berlin, it’s not necessarily true in Bad Homburg.
The top seed, Elena Rybakina, a former Wimbledon champion, has withdrawn from the event due to injury.
There are still some strong players in the field, but Boulter would fancy her chances against any of the top seeds.
Top eight seeds at the 2026 Bad Homburg Open
- 1. Iga Swiatek
- 2. Mirra Andreeva
- 3. Elina Svitolina
- 4. Karolina Muchova
- 5. Linda Noskova
- 6. Naomi Osaka
- 7. Diana Shnaider
- 8. Iva Jovic
2026 Bad Homburg Open wild cards
- Katie Boulter
- Eva Lys
- Venus Williams
- Qinwen Zheng
Especially after playing as well as she did at the Queen’s Club Championships last time around.
Boulter knocked out Leylah Fernandez, Jacqueline Cristian, and Rybakina en route to the semi-finals, where she eventually fell short against Donna Vekic.
The 29-year-old now sits 59th in the Live WTA Rankings.
| Rank | Name | Country | Points |
| 55 | Yulia Starodubtseva | Ukraine | 1,077 |
| 56 | Solana Sierra | Argentina | 1,067 |
| 57 | Talia Gibson | Australia | 1,056 |
| 58 | Magda Linette | Poland | 1,051 |
| 59 | Katie Boulter | Great Britain | 1,047 |
| 60 | Antonia Ruzic | Croatia | 1,041 |
| 61 | Tereza Valentova | Czechia | 1,041 |
| 62 | McCartney Kessler | USA | 1,038 |
| 63 | Peyton Stearns | USA | 1,035 |
| 64 | Viktorija Golubic | Switzerland | 1,028 |
However, if she were to earn 500 points by winning the Bad Homburg Open title, she could move into 31st.
That would put Boulter in a great position to be seeded for the US Open later this year, further boosting her chances of making a deep run.
But who will Boulter need to beat to clinch the title in Bad Homburg and add 500 points to her tally?
Who will Katie Boulter play at the Bad Homburg Open?
Boulter will begin her 2026 Bad Homburg Open campaign against Fernandez.
She beat the Canadian just 12 days ago in her opening match at Queen’s in a thrilling three-set match, 3-6, 7-6, 7-5.
If she can repeat the feat and reach the second round in Bad Homburg, she will likely meet the eighth seed, Iva Jovic.
The young American has impressed on grass this year, although she did suffer a shock 6-2, 6-2 defeat to Emma Raducanu at Queen’s, having looked like the favourite to take the title.
Boulter will attempt to follow in her countrywoman’s footsteps by securing a big win over Jovic to reach the quarter-finals.
Katie Boulter’s Bad Homburg Open draw
| Round | Highest-ranked potential opponent | Potential seeded opponents |
| 1R | Leylah Fernandez (22) | – |
| 2R | Iva Jovic (17) | [8] Iva Jovic |
| QF | Elina Svitolina (8) | [3] Elina Svitolina |
| SF | Mirra Andreeva (5) | [2] Mirra Andreeva, [6] Naomi Osaka |
| F | Iga Swiatek (3) | [1] Iga Swiatek, [4] Karolina Muchova, [5] Linda Noskova, [7] Diana Shnaider |
Things will only get tougher from then on, with top-10 stars Elina Svitolina, Mirra Andreeva, and Iga Swiatek potentially awaiting Boulter in the latter stages.
Boulter will need to be at her best if she is to lift the Bad Homburg Open title, but if she can, she will truly announce herself as a Wimbledon contender.
She will play her first-round match against Fernandez on Sunday, June 21.