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THE CHAMPIONSHIPS WIMBLEDON

July 10, 2017

Johanna Konta

Wimbledon, London, England

J. KONTA/C. Garcia

7-6, 4-6, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. You're the first British female to get through to the quarterfinals in Wimbledon since Jo Durie in 1984. How does it feel?
JOHANNA KONTA: It's very exciting. It's another step forward to being involved in the event for the full two weeks.

But it is a massive compliment to me. It's a great achievement.

Q. What happened when you were 13 that Australia didn't offer you that Spain perhaps did? What were the circumstances that you left Australia?
JOHANNA KONTA: That's a little more complicated than one answer to that. I think there were a number of factors.

One actually just being geographically, how far away Australia was. My parents and I wanted to be closer to Europe. That's why we went to Spain, to be able to be more in the heart of tennis more than anything.

So, yeah, that was our main move.

Q. Almost the first thing you said on Friday was that Caroline had beaten you just last time you played. What do you think got you over the line this time?
JOHANNA KONTA: I think, again, it was a very close match. I don't think there was much in that again today. I stayed mentally quite tough. I tried to really just knuckle down on every single point I could. She was serving very, very well, so it definitely wasn't easy to be active in her service games.

Again, I just kept on trying to get some momentum and some points under my belt.

Q. Were the home crowd part of the difference?
JOHANNA KONTA: Oh, I mean, they were incredible. They were absolutely, yeah -- they were an absolute pleasure to play in front of.

Q. You're the British woman everyone's talking about. How does it feel that you're inspiring young girls across the country, becoming a bit of a role model?
JOHANNA KONTA: I think that's something that you hope for, that you can leave for your sport. I think that's something that becomes more than just about me and just about my results. It's something that, if I can put tennis in a positive light, and if I can encourage young children, boys and girls, to play, I think, yeah, that's something that's very special.

Q. When your match was tightly poised in the second set, they cut away to Henman Hill to show Andy Murray warming up with Benoit Paire. Some people were disappointed by that. What did you make of that?
JOHANNA KONTA: I don't know, because I wasn't on Henman Hill. I was on Court 1 playing.

Q. Are you disappointed they would cut away from your match?
JOHANNA KONTA: I think that's a broadcasting decision.

Q. How does it feel to have a win on Manic Monday?
JOHANNA KONTA: Well, I think it's quite a great day for a spectator to come, to have everybody playing really who's left in the singles draw. I think that, yeah, it was a great day to be a part of. Obviously I feel very excited to be coming back and playing again.

Q. You've already created a bit of history today. I wonder if you've ever looked further ahead, perhaps when the last time was you walked past those five fantastic busts outside Centre Court and wondered whether --
JOHANNA KONTA: The five?

Q. The five busts of the former champions. Have you wondered how you would look in bronze?
JOHANNA KONTA: Do you want to answer your own question with what you think I'm going to say (smiling)?

Q. Is it something you've dreamed of, been inspired by?
JOHANNA KONTA: Of course, I've dreamed of it ever since I was a little girl, to be a Grand Slam champion. But right now I'm in the quarterfinal stage. I'm playing against an incredibly tough opponent next. That's my next battle. That's all I've got my mind on.

Q. When you serve, your front foot is about eight inches behind the baseline.
JOHANNA KONTA: Did you measure that (smiling)?

Q. That's an estimate. Why so far back?
JOHANNA KONTA: Why not?

Q. Because you would have a better angle, less reaction time for the opponent if you were up against the baseline.
JOHANNA KONTA: It's just the way I serve. It's the way I am. That's all I can say.

Q. It's Halep next. Obviously someone your coach knows pretty well. Any inside knowledge that might be a bit of an advantage?
JOHANNA KONTA: We've played twice already this year, obviously in Miami and then again during Fed Cup. I think that is already some knowledge on each other.

But she's very much in form. She's playing very, very well. I'm looking forward to playing her because, again, she'll definitely challenge me. I'm really looking forward to playing someone who's playing such great tennis.

Q. At the beginning of the tournament everyone was talking about how wide open the women's field is. Does it still feel that way to you, that anyone has a chance?
JOHANNA KONTA: Well, I think it's always the case whenever you come into a tournament: the people who are part of that tournament have a chance to win. Again, it's been shown almost every day during these championships so far how well anybody can play on any day.

Obviously rankings are more dictated on the consistency and how many days you can string together and play well. But, again, I think, yeah, anybody can do it.

Q. Do you think you're playing the best tennis of your career right now? Are there parts of your game you're not entirely satisfied with? If so, what are they?
JOHANNA KONTA: I think I've still got loads to improve on. Actually, I think that's a very exciting thing for myself and for my team, that I definitely feel I have a lot more to maximize, yeah.

Q. Anything in particular?
JOHANNA KONTA: I think pretty much everything.

Q. A lot of the commentators and fans watching your match were quite critical of Caroline Garcia because she seemed to be receiving some illegal coaching from her father, her coach. Did you notice that? Do you think that's wrong? Should it be allowed on court?
JOHANNA KONTA: I didn't notice. Again, I'm looking to stay very much focused on myself, what I'm looking to achieve out there. Again, that's an umpire's duty to, I guess, be aware of things like that.

Again, I didn't notice.

Q. Do you think it's bad that the umpire didn't notice or pick up on it?
JOHANNA KONTA: I don't know that she might have. I saw they did have conversation, but I don't know what it was about. For all I know, she could have noticed.

Q. Obviously between here and the French, it's quite a different situation as far as how far you got there. Is there a real reason, the difference, you can put down to? Here you seem to be on the crest of a wave.
JOHANNA KONTA: What is the question?

Q. In terms of progress, can you explain why you're so much better here compared to the French?
JOHANNA KONTA: This year?

Q. Yes.
JOHANNA KONTA: Well, to be honest, I played a really tough match at French Open. I wasn't too far from coming through that in the first round. I got beaten by someone who played very, very well that day.

I don't think, in terms of the level of tennis I'm playing, there's actually much difference. I think maybe I've tuned up a couple more things here. I've got a bit more momentum here.

Otherwise, I don't think I was too far away from coming through my first round in the French Open.

Q. That Fed Cup game against Simona obviously was a horrible experience for you. At her press conference earlier on, it's fair to say Simona wasn't very sympathetic about your position there. She felt the fans there had done nothing wrong. Would it be good for you to try to put things straight in that game, avenge what was a very bad experience for you?
JOHANNA KONTA: I'm playing against another tennis player, another opponent. I'm not playing against a crowd. I'm not playing against a past experience.

Again, they were not in my shoes. They were not being verbally threatened. I think it's very difficult for them to understand my position in it.

Again, that's many, many months ago now. Again, I'm looking forward to playing against Simona Halep, the top tennis player, who is playing well right now. It's a great opportunity for me to play again against one of the best in the world, and to really enjoy being in the quarterfinals of Wimbledon.

Q. As you say, on any day any player can beat anyone else, especially over three sets. Is there an argument at all in slams for having, towards the end of a tournament, semifinals, quarterfinals, five sets?
JOHANNA KONTA: I don't know. I don't know. I don't know, to be honest. I've never played a best-of-five set match competitively, so I cannot comment.

Q. Virginia Wade came out yesterday and said she thought you stood a good chance of winning Wimbledon. What do you feel about that?
JOHANNA KONTA: That's something that's very complimentary towards me. It's humbling that I have such champions thinking so highly of me. Again, there's a lot of work to be done between then and being in a position to be playing for the Wimbledon title.

I haven't really looked that far forward. I'm unable to because right now my next battle is tomorrow, and I'm looking forward to that.

Q. Naomi Broady was complimentary of your cooking today. Are you finding that a good way to relax between games? Any other recipes you're planning tomorrow?
JOHANNA KONTA: It's just that I've finally gotten the chance to actually stay at home a little bit and use my oven more than anything. It's more the fact that I have an oven, that I'm using it, and not necessarily for relaxation purposes.

Now it's kind of become a habit. My team are demanding the muffins. I have a very high-maintenance team.

Q. In terms of the tournament so far, your recognition with the public obviously has gone up enormously. It will show even more after today and ahead of tomorrow's game. Is that putting any extra pressure on you? Are you feeling more pressure being more recognized widespread around Britain? Did you feel the pressure today from the crowd?
JOHANNA KONTA: No, actually I just felt massive support. Again, I've said it time and time again: I can only go out there and do the best that I can.

Again, I approach pressure in a very self-imposed way. There's only certain things under my control. That's the approach and the effort I put into every single match that I play. That's all I really look to do.

Q. The LTA cut your funding three years ago when Michael Downey first took over. Rectified it at the end of his reign. Was that motivator at all, to prove him wrong?
JOHANNA KONTA: Say that again.

Q. The LTA cut your funding three years ago when Michael Downey first took over. Three years later, at the end of his reign, he rectified it.
JOHANNA KONTA: Who rectified what?

Q. Your funding.
JOHANNA KONTA: My funding hasn't been rectified.

Q. The gentleman to my right stole my thunder with the baking question.
JOHANNA KONTA: Oh, but I love to talk about my baking.

Today I had white chocolate and raspberry muffins. So far they the biggest hit. Previous to that it was a chocolate chip muffin. But I had two of those. I had the 1.0 and the 2.0. The 1.0 I forgot the vanilla essence. The second one was better.

So I'm thinking that maybe tomorrow, if I've got time tonight, it will be a chocolate chip and banana muffin, though I'm getting a lot of pressure to make a banana nut muffin from a certain member of my team, but I'm holding strong.

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