Muchova crushes Boulter 6-1, 6-2 at US Open

Katie Boulter’s US Open ended before it had barely begun on Tuesday, the British No 1 crushed 6-1, 6-2 by sixth seed Karolina Muchova in 52 minutes at Flushing Meadows, a result that ends her best-ever run at a Grand Slam.

Boulter, 27, arrived in New York as the sentimental pick after three marathon qualifying wins and a first-week surge that included a straight-sets victory over 2017 champion Sloane Stephens. Her relentless baseline game and improving serve had convinced even sceptics she could trouble the top half of the draw. Muchova, steady from the baseline and ruthless on her backhand, simply had the answers. The Czech, who has beaten Iga Świątek and Aryna Sabalenka this season, dictated rallies with deep returns and angled winners while Boulter sprayed errors under the New York lights.

The defeat hands Muchova a place in the last 16 and leaves Britain’s next best hope in the women’s draw to Emma Raducanu, who faces Shelby Rogers later on Wednesday. Boulter, who only turned professional full-time in 2021, will now regroup for the hard-court swing to Asia and the WTA Finals wild-card race, where she sits inside the top 30. “I’ll take the positives, but right now it feels like a step back,” she said after the match, acknowledging that the step up in class had exposed gaps in her game.

Meanwhile Britain’s Jack Draper secured another scalp, beating Roman Safiullin 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 to set up a second-round clash with either Andy Murray or Corentin Moutet. Draper, 22, has now won four straight matches in New York and will crack the top 50 for the first time if he progresses further. His left-handed power and improving movement have drawn comparisons to Murray’s early years. For Boulter, the priority is closing that gap before the 2025 Australian Open.