Konta’s playing the long game… COACH KEEPS HIS DISTANCE
JO KONTA will maintain her long-distance relationship with her French coach as she plots to go all the way at the Australian Open.
The British No1 is relieved to be out of a 14-day quarantine and will play her first WTA warm-up in Melbourne Park this week.
Her head coach Dimitri Zavialoff has not been able to travel Down Under because each player is limited to two invites.
The world No14 is accompanied by boyfriend Jackson Wade and assistant coach Dan Smethurst.
Konta and Zavialoff reunited in November after splitting earlier in the year despite a successful 2019 together. The 2016 Australian Open semi-finalist said: “He’s not in Australia. I was only able to bring two people. But I’m keeping in touch with him through the phone and writing and things like that.
“It’s been good. In a way it never really felt like we stopped working. Obviously we always maintained a very good relationship even after the initial break at the beginning of last year.
“It’s been really nice just to continue on our work together, all of us in the team. I think it just felt right to keep going.” The 29-yearold cut short her truncated 2020 season in September to rest a nagging knee injury after losing in the first round of the French Open.
The Sydney-born star will play her first match against American world No147 Bernarda Pera at the Gippsland Trophy. It is one of six warm-up events ahead of the Grand Slam event, which starts a week today.
“It’s nice that we have something to play,” Konta said. “I’m always looking forward to and preparing for the best-case scenario. My intention is to be playing in the Australian Open for two weeks.”