Fans have been sent into a spin over the possibility that the tennis power couple of Aussie Alex de Minaur and Brit Katie Boulter are engaged.
The Australian world No.10 and English world No.54 have been dating since early 2020 and, if the sharp observations of some eagle-eyed fans are anything to go by, they may have taken their relationship to the next level.
No announcement has been made by either de Minaur or Boulter, but the latter was spotted wearing what looks like an engagement ring on her ring finger during her partner’s devastating five-set loss to Andrey Rublev on Sunday night.
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It sent those who noticed into a frenzy on social media.
“KATIE BOULTER AND ALEX DE MINUAR ENGAGED !!! HE PUT A RING ON IT LOOK!” one fan declared confidently.
“Is Katie Boulter wearing an engagement ring?” another posed.
It’s unclear how long Boulter has been wearing the ring, but recent Instagram posts show her sporting it in recent weeks at least.
Earlier this month, de Minaur made a candid admission about his high-profile relationship with Boulter.
The couple have been together for close to four years, but it wasn’t until last year’s Wimbledon when they suddenly became the centre of attention.
They melted hearts across the world when they teamed up in the mixed doubles tournament at the All England Club.
They lost in the second round, but won plenty of fans with their performances and attitude on the court.
Having spent most of his career out of the spotlight, de Minaur admitted he was surprised by the sudden interest.
“It was definitely odd,” De Minaur told The Guardian. “It was my first time ever being followed by paparazzi. That’s something I wasn’t expecting, to the point that they found out where we were staying, and they were waiting for us the following morning.
“That, for me, was incredible to experience, it is something I never thought was possible. And that’s all because of Katie.”
Boulter last week described the attention as a “circus”.
“It’s really hard to describe. I mean, I can’t walk down the street with him separately. I feel like I’m sharing him with everyone, which isn’t a bad thing,” she said.
“I think it’s definitely been fun to be a part of because it’s been a little bit of a circus, but a good circus.
“I think it’s awesome that he’s getting the attention that he really does deserve. He’s put the work in for it. He’s playing some of the best tennis of his life.
“It really does fill me with a lot of pride to actually watch him at this moment because I know everything that he’s been through, how hard and how strong he is with everything he does.
“It’s been a pleasure to watch and be a part of it at the same time. I’ll continue to support him with everything that he does, no matter the good and the bad.”
– With Ben Sutton