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HUAJIN SECURITIES WTA ELITE TROPHY ZHUHAI

November 1, 2016

Johanna Konta

Zhuhai, China

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. You spend your childhood in Sydney, and now you live in Great Britain. Do you consider are yourself more Aussie or British?
JOHANNA KONTA: Well, I'm a lucky person. I actually have passports from both countries, but my home is Great Britain. I'm very prude proud to represent Great Britain. I feel more British.

Q. How do you describe your Singapore experience? I think a lot of people feel a little sorry for you, including Kuznetsova. When did you come to here?
JOHANNA KONTA: It was definitely not an ideal situation to be in I think for any player, including Kuznetsova. I think she did an incredible job. I think to qualify the way she did going into Moscow knowing that if she won what it would mean, honestly, that was very impressive from her.

From my side, I really just tried to make the most out of the week. Enjoy the experience, see what it's like. We do get treated very well there. We stay at a very nice hotel and the food is very good. Honestly just tried to make the most of it.

I arrived here on Sunday morning. Yeah, Sunday early afternoon.

Q. A lot of people were saying you looked stunning and gorgeous last night, and before in Singapore. Do you follow fashion, and how do you define beauty?
JOHANNA KONTA: (Laughing.) Sorry. Thank you. I was not expecting that question, so that's why I'm laughing.

Well, I'm very flattered. Thank you very much. I do try. I try my best to always I guess represent the tournaments well and just make an effort in general, because the tournaments put big efforts in putting those functions on for us.

I think it's important that we try just as hard. I do enjoy fashion. I do get some help though, so it's not all me. Yeah, thank you for noticing.

Q. This must be an expected question for you. Because you are voted as the most improved player of the WTA this year, can you share with us what's the biggest improvement that you have made to your techniques or mentality, something else? Can you share with us your secret of such amazing season?
JOHANNA KONTA: Well, unfortunately there is no secrets or magic potion or anything like that. I think on my personal journey it was about really accumulating a lot of experiences and to really go through certain situations which improved me as a competitor and also as a person off court.

I think going through some things really put me in a position to be prepared to consistently compete the way I have this year. I think that's probably been the biggest change, just the consistency I've been able to play at, the level that I'm playing.

But I promise you it's every day hard work. It's every day really making sure -- if it's easy or hard -- really making sure that you stick with the good habits and stick with the good things that you know are bringing you good things basically.

Q. What do you make of the format? It's not a traditional round robin, but you're guaranteed two matches. What's your approach heading into the week?
JOHANNA KONTA: I'm really excited actually. Really happy to be here. Really excited that I get to finish my year here. I think so far I've just really enjoyed everything that I've got to experience so far with the hotel and also the venue here.

The format, I'm looking forward to it. It will be the first time I've ever played in kind of a round robin situation. Well, since I was very young. I remember when I was very little we played round robins.

So, yeah, guaranteed two matches is also great. It's a great way to finish the year. Yeah, just hoping to -- looking forward to really giving it my all and see where that takes me during the week.

Q. You're doing great this year in China: quarterfinal in Wuhan and final in Beijing; into top 10 for the first time. Does that give you extra confidence you can play well in China again this week? Also, you're the only top-10 player this week. Do you think the tournament is for you to lose?
JOHANNA KONTA: I guess China has been good to me recently. I definitely do enjoy playing here. I think every tournament that I've played so far in China, the organization has tried incredibly hard to put on great events, and I do think they succeed in doing so.

I do enjoy coming here to play. I may be in the current rankings the only top 10 player here, but there are Grand Slam champions in this tournament. There are girls from the tournament who were top 10 only two weeks ago.

And even the girls who aren't, I promise you every girl here plays a very high level of tennis. Some of the girls have also been reaching quarterfinals, semifinals of Grand Slams this year.

It's anyone's tournament. I'm just here like everybody else and I am going to give my best and see where that takes me this week.

Q. How are you feeling physically at this point? I know you were dealing with a little bit of an injury two weeks ago. How much training did you do in Singapore and how are feeling now?
JOHANNA KONTA: I'm feeling really good. I think I made the decision when I did at the right time -- I mean, I always look to put my health and body first. Without it I wouldn't be able to play.

So I made the decision at the right time to pull back and rested, and honestly everything cleared up in three, four days. Since then I have been building up.

I have a four-week practice in Singapore, and really looking forward to play here. Not going to lie: I'm also looking forward to going home and resting after the season is over.

I feel motivated and really lucky that I still can play one more event this year.

Q. I know that you are very busy, but when you do have time, what is your hobby? What do you like to do? Australian always likes surfing or things. Do you also like to do some surfing or dangerous sports besides tennis?
JOHANNA KONTA: I can't surf, so I definitely do surfing. Actually, in general I'm not very good or coordinated at any other sports in general, so tennis is practically my only craziest thing that I do probably.

In term of off-court hobbies, I love live music. When I'm home I try to go to concerts. Otherwise I'm quite a homebody. I enjoy being home. I enjoy the comforts that that brings. I enjoy being with my family.

Traveling as much as I do, and all of us do, you don't really get a chance to not live out of a suitcase that often. So I think just very normal and simple things I take a lot of joy from.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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