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British Katie Boulter says she feels she has to "decide between my physical health and my world standing" as the scramble persists for a place in January's Australian Open main event.

While the typical WTA Tour tournament schedule is completed, there are still position points to be earned in Latin American countries, neighboring countries, multiple sites and international tournaments.

The women's competitor lineup for the initial Grand Slam of the 2026 season will be determined by the global standings of early December, which could present a challenging situation for players near the qualification line.

Injury Concerns

Previous British top-ranked player Boulter tore an abductor in her concluding competition of the year in Asian venues last month, and is now weighing up whether to compete in the WTA 125 development competition in Angers, France, in the opening days of December.

Boulter's recent injury, and the fact she would need to achieve at least multiple victories in the French tournament to improve her standing, means she may likely end up not participating.

Varying Approaches

In opposition, male players are not confronting the same situation, as for the first time the men's Australian Open participant roster will be created from present week's rankings, which is the ATP's official annual-final position determination.

The modification is designed to discouraging players from seeking position points during what is basically the off-season.

Coaching Changes

This period has been a challenging one for Boulter.

She achieved merely 14 elite major tournament contests and currently separated with instructor Biljana Veselinovic after a lengthy working relationship in which she won three WTA championships.

"Biljana is an exceptional instructor, and an exceptionally quality individual as well, which makes things extremely hard," Boulter stated.

The search for a new instructor is actively progressing, looking for an individual who has high-level expertise as Boulter continues to think she can be a world-class competitor.

Future Goals

"Progressing with a replacement instructor, one thing I'm very clear on is that they are going to be someone who has considerable expertise in how to succeed to the highest echelon of this game," she said.

"I've been positioned as advanced as twenty-three and I am confident I can climb back to that position. I don't believe my performance has gone anywhere, I believe the steadiness needs to enhance.

"My aim is not simply to be ranked fifty, 40, 30, twenty - we've been there. The goal is to be among the elite group."