ALL SYSTEMS JO!
Now Konta’s sights are on a Slam after Miami triumph
MARTINA NAvRATIlovA used the phraseology of Forrest Gump to assess the current state of women’s tennis. ‘It’s like a box of chocolates, you never know what you are going to get,’ she said.
She was referring to the game’s unpredictable nature, the latest manifestation of which was Jo Konta’s triumph at the Miami open.
Navratilova is right, and on that basis there can be no doubting that the ever-improving Konta is capable of winning a Grand Slam and going beyond this morning’s new ranking of No 7. Based purely on results this year, Konta is in second place for points and she has already beaten the only player above her — Caroline Wozniacki — twice.
A flurry of new odds poured forth from the bookmakers on Saturday night, making her 7-2 to win a major this year, and 7-1 to win Sports Personality of the Year.
It could yet happen. With the retirement of Jessica Ennis-Hill there is arguably a vacancy for the status of most high-profile woman at the top of British sport. Moreover, Konta’s earning potential for the next five or so years is considerable from endorsements and prize-money, with the purse for Saturday’s win being £950,000.
Navratilova, speaking to BT Sport, offered some advice about coping with a growing visibility: ‘You need to learn to say no. The cover of this magazine or that magazine, it can all wait. Tennis must come first.’
There is little danger of Konta being distracted, for she is out of the Andy Murray mould when it comes to discipline and focusing on the job. It is also the case that her profile has yet to catch up with her rapidly expanding portfolio of achievements.
This is partly due to the fact that she is yet to produce an eyecatching performance at Wimbledon, unlike laura Robson or Heather Watson, who could both take heed of her work ethic.
Konta has only won one round at SW19 in five attempts, although she has had rough draws. Twice she has lost to former world No 1s (Maria Sharapova and Jelena Jankovic) and once to a recent finalist (Eugenie Bouchard).
In making a quarter and semifinal at Eastbourne she has, however, suggested she can play well on grass. It suits her strengths of having a penetrating serve, a decent return and the ability to take time away from opponents with flat groundstrokes.
This year she again plans to play all three warm-up events in the UK. ‘If my body and mind is up to it I will. I love these tournaments. one of the things I love is that I can drive to them,’ she said.
one of the more notable aspects of this year’s success (two WTA titles already) is that she split with Spanish coach Esteban Carril late last year, despite him masterminding her rise, and hired Belgian Wim Fissette.
It looked a strange move at the time, but Fissette is propelling her to greater heights in a women’s game shorn of some of its bigger names. Serena Williams plays sparingly, victoria Azarenka is on maternity leave, Maria Sharapova suspended, and Petra Kvitova recovering from a dreadful assault.
In the immediate future Konta, still only 25, must look to improve her scant record on clay. She had little time to celebrate in Florida before heading to this week’s event on that surface in Charleston, South Carolina.
She has only won two main tour WTA matches on European clay, although she had some success at lower-level events in the past.
These go back to the days when Konta was stuck in the boondocks of the circuit, held back by nerves that used to conquer her.
‘I’ve learned to play smarter tennis and calmer tennis, and that takes time,’ she said. ‘It has been about reinvesting all the experiences that I have had through my career career. I’m actually really looking forward to the clay.
‘I’ve never considered it to be a weaker surface for me. I enjoy all surfaces and until recently I had some better results on clay, so it comes in ebbs and flows.’
Konta concentrates on never letting a negative thought enter her head. It is a method that is working.