Katie Boulter reaches Japan Open quarter-finals in under an hour

Katie Boulter moved into the quarter-finals of the Japan Open in Osaka on 21 October 2026 after defeating Viktorija Golubic in less than an hour. The British player won 6-2 6-1 to advance to the last eight.

She is British number two after Sonny Kartal replaced her at the top of the rankings on Monday. The 30-year-old lost the British number one spot to Sonny Kartal on Monday, but is set to retake the position following her run this week. Boulter is seeded eighth in the competition.

Boulter beat her Swiss opponent 6-2 6-1, saving a break point in the opening game before dominating from 2-2 in the first set. She ran off nine consecutive games before Golubic took the penultimate game of the match.

The victory puts Boulter into the quarter-finals, where she will face either Croatia's Antonia Ruzic or American Kayla Day in the next round. That match will decide who progresses to the semi-finals.

Boulter said she was pleased with how she handled "difficult conditions", with a strong wind affecting play. "I think one of the biggest things for me is staying patient in the wind," she said. "Sometimes I can get a little frustrated, and I'm very pleased that I didn't allow that to affect me today and I think I ended up playing some really good tennis in the second set. I'm really pleased with the performance."

She will meet either Antonia Ruzic or Kayla Day in the quarter-finals of the Japan Open.