Jo has to win the mind game to beat her Wimbledonitis

JO KONTA has the game to win the Women’s Singles title.

I do wonder, however, if she has the mental strength to achieve it. Judged on past results, the doubts are there.

The top Briton suffers from what I would call Wimbledonitis – something I suffered from myself.

It’s all to do with the pressure of trying to do well in your home Grand Slam.

However much you want to succeed in front of family, friends and the fans, you can’t produce your best tennis.

I have advice for Jo. Speak to Andy Murray. Speak to Tim Henman. Find out how they coped with the situation.

At different times, they have drawn on the atmosphere, embraced the experience and produced their best.

I couldn’t do that, and I think it has been the same for Jo in recent years. The pressure has been overwhelming. She has almost tried too hard.

Her best results, and top-10 ranking, have been achieved on foreign soil.

It’s a common problem. Amelie Mauresmo won Wimbledon and the Australian Open, but in 15 attempts never got past the French quarter-finals.

It was a similar tale for Australian Sam Stosur.

Jo has proved in the last two years that she has the weapons to succeed at Wimbledon – a great serve, solid ground shots and good movement.

Now she has to work on the mind game, as well as getting over that nasty fall at Eastbourne.

This is the most open women’s event I can ever remember at Wimbledon. You could almost stick a pin in the draw.

Once you take Serena Williams out of the mix, there are an awful lot of potential winners.

Petra Kvitova (above left), as a two-time winner, is the class act and I mark her down as favourite.

But it’s impossible to judge whether the Czech girl has had enough matches to go all the way.

Last December, Petra was severely injured – in her left hand and wrist – by a knife-wielding burglar during a break-in at her apartment.

There was some doubt whether she would ever play tennis again. Tendons in four fingers were severed.

So I am just thrilled to see Kvitova back on court again. Watching her win her first match in Paris was quite emotional, and since then she has won the Aegon Classic at Edgbaston.

I have a feeling that coming through a traumatic experience like that might make her an even stronger competitor.

The old cliche about taking each day as it comes, and making the most of it, because you don’t know what is round the corner, will ring very true for Petra.

I am eager to see how the French Open champion, Jelena Ostapenko (above right), plays on the grass.

The Latvian girl was sensational in Paris, the most-exciting player to burst on the scene in years.

Her no-holds-barred, aggressive ball-striking was incredible on the clay.

It will be fascinating to see if she can maintain that attitude on grass now she is a Grand Slam winner.

As for other contenders, I believe Karolina Pliskova is ready to win a Major as, outside of Serena Williams, she has the best serve in the women’s game.

Angelique Kerber, Simona Halep and Garbine Muguruza are all in the mix. Any of them could come through.

It will be fun seeing who rises to the challenge.