Boulter Joins Forces with Sharapova's Ex-Coach Joyce

British tennis player Katie Boulter has enlisted the expertise of Michael Joyce, formerly the coach of Maria Sharapova, as she prepares to kick off her 2026 campaign at the WTA 250 Auckland, broadcast live on Sky Sports. Following a three-year partnership with coach Biljana Veselinovic, which yielded three WTA titles, Boulter parted ways with her at the end of last year. Joyce, 52, boasts an impressive track record, having been a key member of Sharapova's coaching team for six years, during which she claimed the Australian and US Open titles and rose to world No 1. Recently, Joyce has worked with Ashlyn Krueger, who broke into the top 30 last year, as well as two-time Grand Slam champion Victoria Azarenka and Britain's Johanna Konta. He has joined Boulter in Auckland, where she will compete in the WTA 250 after securing a main draw wildcard, despite winning only three tour-level matches since Wimbledon. Boulter's 2025 season was cut short due to an abductor injury sustained in Hong Kong, but she is now focused on reclaiming her position as British No 1 and breaking into the world's top 20. Having fallen out of the top 100 last year, Boulter failed to qualify for the Australian Open, but still has a chance to participate in the Grand Slam through qualifying in Melbourne. As she looks to the new year, Boulter expressed her excitement on Instagram, referring to 2026 as "the best year of her life" - a year in which she is set to marry Australian tennis star Alex de Minaur, ranked seventh in the world. In a parting message to 2025, Boulter bid the year adieu, saying "Adios 2025. Don't let the door hit you on the way out."