Following her run to the Surbiton Trophy semi-finals, Katie Boulter has succeeded Emma Raducanu as the British number one women’s player.

When she competes in the Nottingham Open this week, Boulter, 26, will be in first place for the first time in her career.

Raducanu, 20, rose to British number one after winning the US Open in 2021, but has been hindered by injuries subsequently.

“Naturally, I am very proud to join the women who have come before me who have reached that historic spot,” Boulter said.

“However, my main goal remains to improve my ranking and to continue working hard.”

“It’ll be an exciting summer because we’re all so close in the rankings.”

Boulter, who is ranked 126 in the world after three triumphs at Surbiton, is two places and 19 points ahead of Raducanu in the latest standings, with Jodie Burrage (131), Katie Swan (134), and Harriet Dart (143) close behind.

Raducanu will miss the summer season, including Wimbledon, after undergoing hand and ankle surgery, which also prevented her from competing in the French Open.

Boulter reached the third round of a Grand Slam for the first time last year when she defeated former world number one and 2021 runner-up Karolina Pliskova at Wimbledon.

Leicester-born Boulter began playing tennis at the age of five and went on to represent Great Britain at the age of eight.

Her breakthrough year was 2018, when she won her first ITF 25k and 60k championships before reaching her first WTA quarter-final as a wildcard at the Nottingham Open.

She reached a career-high ranking of 82 in 2019, but a stress fracture in her back forced her to miss six months of competition.

Boulter will face compatriot Emily Appleton in her opening match on Tuesday in Nottingham, with daily coverage of the competition accessible on BBC iPlayer, the BBC Sport website and app, and the BBC Red Button.