Heading into the 2026 season, Katie Boulter is eyeing a comeback unlike any other. The Briton is coming in after a rather rocky 2025 season, falling to No. 106 after reaching a career-high No. 23 in 2024. It’s been a tough ride. She’s faced a string of early exits, especially on the Grand Slam stages. There was a bright spot, though with one title at the Trophée Clarins WTA 125 event. Apart from that? Luck just didn’t swing her way. Now, she’s bringing on a new teammate to help her turn things around!

On Saturday, it was announced that Boulter has joined forces with renowned coach Michael Joyce, best known for guiding Maria Sharapova during some of the most successful years of her career. Joyce, 52, served as part of Sharapova’s coaching setup for six seasons, a period that saw the Russian claim the Australian Open, the US Open, and rise to world No. 1. Boulter is set to begin her 2026 campaign under his guidance at the WTA 250 in Auckland.

The British No. 4 recently ended a three-year partnership with Biljana Veselinovic. Their teamwork was highlighted by three WTA titles before closing out 2025 with an unfortunate abductor injury in Hong Kong. That setback sidelined her for the remainder of the season, but Katie Boulter now looks forward to regaining her status as Britain’s top-ranked woman and breaking into the world’s top 20.

The question now: can Joyce’s experience provide the spark she needs to take that next step? The American has quite a resume!

Michael brought his methodical approach to player development was evident throughout their partnership, and he’ll now look to bring that same touch to Katie Boulter’s game. Over the years, he has also worked with two-time Grand Slam champion Victoria Azarenka, Britain’s Johanna Konta, and, most recently, the emerging talent Ashlyn Krueger.

This marks the fresh start Katie Boulter may have been looking for. Her partnership with Joyce is set to begin at the ASB Classic, where she has received a wildcard entry. Joyce has travelled to Auckland to accompany Katie, and the pair plan to collaborate through this event and the Australian Open before deciding whether to extend their partnership for the remainder of the season.

For now, she’ll be locking in to grab her next title. Only time will tell if this partnership works out and Katie has been open about what kind of coach she wants behind her.

Katie Boulter opens up about her ideal coach

In a chat with BBC Sport back in November 2025, Boulter laid out exactly what she wants from this new chapter.

“Going forward with a new coach, one thing I’m very clear on is that they are going to be someone who has a lot of experience in how to make it to the very top level of this game,” she said. “I’ve been ranked as high as 23 and I know I can get back there. I don’t think my level has gone anywhere, I think the consistency needs to improve.”

It’s a steep climb ahead, but her ambition hasn’t dimmed. At 29, Boulter’s goal is simple: beat her career-best ranking of world No. 23. She’s done it before, and she’s hungry to do it again. When Emma Raducanu’s injuries left a gap in British women’s tennis, Boulter stepped right up. Her 2023 season was a breakout, bringing her first WTA title at the Nottingham Open against Jodie Burrage, then defending it a year later. She followed that up with a stunning run at the San Diego Open, capturing her maiden WTA 500 crown over Marta Kostyuk.

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Her momentum carried into the Hong Kong Open, where she reached the final and hit her highest career ranking, before losing out to Diana Shnaider. But the highs of 2024 didn’t quite carry over. Beyond a Challenger win in 2025, her campaign unravelled. Grand Slam results were underwhelming. Second-round exits in the first three, and a first-round loss at the US Open. After Wimbledon, victories were few and far between.

Worse still, an abductor tear at her final 2025 event in Hong Kong brought her season to a halt. The ranking points she worked hard for slipped away, and she tumbled out of the top 100, losing direct entry to the Australian Open main draw. Now the third alternate, she’ll need some withdrawals to sneak in, or battle through qualifying with three wins to reach Melbourne. Quite the drop from last year, when she strode in as the 22nd seed. Still, Katie Boulter’s resolve is firm:

“My goal is not to be ranked 50, 40, 30, 20 — we’ve been there. The goal is to be inside 20.”

Her journey with new coach Michael Joyce kicks off at the ASB Classic on January 12, where she’ll enter as a wildcard. Could this be the turnaround she’s been chasing? Share your thoughts in the comments below!