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THE CHAMPIONSHIPS WIMBLEDON

July 7, 2017

Johanna Konta

Wimbledon, London, England

J. KONTA/M. Sakkari

6-4, 6-1

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you grade your performance today?
JOHANNA KONTA: Well, I think as a performance, as a competitor, I think I competed really well. It wasn't easy. It was a little bit windy out there, so I think it made it difficult for both of us to play necessarily our best level.

But I think it was a competitive match. I was really happy with how I put all sorts of difficulties aside and just really looked to compete really hard.

Q. I think you once said if you had a house, you would remortgage it to go see U2. They're playing six miles away tomorrow night. Was it a temptation to give yourself a bit of indulgence in your days off?
JOHANNA KONTA: No, because I'm actually seeing them a few weeks later. I've already planned to see them. I didn't have to mortgage my house either (smiling).

Q. How did you find her game? She was going for everything.
JOHANNA KONTA: It was very different than my previous rounds. There was definitely an adjustment period to her ball. Like you said, she was swinging quite freely. She had great depth on her ball and was definitely challenging me with that.

I felt quite clear of what I wanted to try and do out there. I wasn't able to necessarily do it the whole time. But I felt I really knuckled down and tried to stay tough when I needed to.

Q. As a British player, you appreciate loads of support from the whole crowd. You get empty seats in Court 1 and Centre Court. Do you find that a shame when you're playing there and you have empty seats and people have been queuing for days and they haven't got tickets?
JOHANNA KONTA: Actually, I didn't notice any empty seats. I'm not too sure what exactly the demographic of it was in terms of what seats were filled and what weren't.

To me, when I played on both Centre and 1, actually it's felt like a very full stadium to me. For me, I felt the crowd was actually great.

Q. One of the things Andy said yesterday, one of the things he's learnt at Wimbledon through the years was to get the crowd on his side, and show a bit of emotion. He said that was one of the things you could maybe do more. Do you think you could do that a bit more over the next week to get the crowd involved?
JOHANNA KONTA: I definitely appreciate their support. I'm definitely hoping that they're enjoying the matches that I'm playing, enjoying the tennis in general.

I mean, for me, a lot of my challenges and my competition's also within myself and within my own focus. Definitely my priority has to be how I approach the match and the mindset I have.

There's obviously other things that come along with performing well on any day. But I think if I can be involved in many epic battles, I'm sure the crowd will also enjoy that.

Q. Now that you're through to week two, what are your thoughts about how you'll spend the middle Sunday, which only Wimbledon has? What are your thoughts about what the fans get on Monday when the men and women are all in action, which only occurs at Wimbledon?
JOHANNA KONTA: Well, I guess I'm in a fortunate position, and everyone in my half, that we get both Saturday and Sunday off from singles. That's a nice little break. It will give me a good chance to prepare well and to train a little bit as well, which you don't get too often during tournaments.

I think it's just another thing that makes Wimbledon special and different. I think it will be a very exciting Monday for the fans.

Q. How do you think you'll spend Sunday? What will you do specifically?
JOHANNA KONTA: Recover and prepare, yeah, for Monday. Train and eat well and sleep well.

Q. Sorry to bug you about the U2 thing. I suppose there could be an argument it might be a nice distraction to go to some other event that leads you away from Wimbledon and your narrow-mindedness on where you're going. What sort of reason would you give that it's not good maybe to be distracted even on the day off to go to a music event? It would seem it could offer you light relief.
JOHANNA KONTA: Sorry, that's a really long question. What is your actual question?

Q. Not a very well-phrased one. Why is it not good for you to go to something that takes you away from Wimbledon?
JOHANNA KONTA: I don't think it's not not good. I think it's a complete personal preference. Personally when I looked at where U2 was, where they were touring, I tried to put it in a section of my season where I was as close to guaranteed to see them as possible.

But, for example, a couple years ago I actually went to see Taylor Swift before the Championships, a few days before. I think it's complete personal preference, and what you feel like you need.

I don't think, yeah, anything bad about it.

Q. You're now ranked as the favorite in the women's draw to take the title. Does that matter to you? How does that feel?
JOHANNA KONTA: Well, I mean, I have said that everyone in the draw is in with a chance of taking the title. I think I'm pretty sure favorites also come and go. They change daily almost.

I'm just here, happy to have actually made it into the second week, happy to come through three battles this week. Again, very much taking it one match at a time. But definitely working towards staying involved for a full two weeks.

Q. Tim Henman and Leon Smith were talking up your chances yesterday morning. How aware are you of the kind of growing...
JOHANNA KONTA: Actually, what you guys tell me. I don't spend too much time thinking about it or listening to that sort of talk, only because, like I said, things move very quickly in tennis, and opinions change daily.

For me, the best I can do is prepare the best that I can, compete the best that I can, just give my best, and really enjoy, again, being able to come back on Monday and play again.

Q. Somebody like Tim, who obviously went close here several times, it must encourage you that somebody like that thinks you're a genuine contender?
JOHANNA KONTA: It's a massive compliment, it really is, to have former players of that caliber thinking highly of me. That is a massive compliment to me. Thank you.

Q. Caroline Garcia next. Will you look at the last match at all that you lost? How much of a threat is she?
JOHANNA KONTA: She's a very good player. She's someone who is playing with a lot of confidence right now. I think she made the last eight in Paris, as well. She's definitely playing with confidence in the slams.

I think it's going to be a very tough match. We played in Indian Wells. I lost to her I think 7-6 in the third there, so it was a very close match. I don't anticipate anything different, other than a really, really tough battle for me.

Q. When Andy first won here, he was credited with just showing incredible mental strength to do it. How did you take note of that? Do you think it would be similar for you?
JOHANNA KONTA: Well, if I'm ever in a position to be playing for a Grand Slam title, I think that's something that I guess we all dream of really as tennis players. I think what Andy has done for our sport here at home, even before he won Wimbledon, was pretty amazing. What he continues to do is still something that is nothing short of amazing.

I think the way he competes and the way he really kind of never says die is what makes him the best player in the world.

Q. If you were to win, that's obviously your ambition, and Andy were to win, have you thought about what an amazing thing that would be for British tennis?
JOHANNA KONTA: No, I haven't thought about that. But if it were to happen, that would be amazing.

Q. Is there anyone in the draw right now that really worries you, scares you, threatens you?
JOHANNA KONTA: I believe every single woman in the draw is a threat to everybody. I don't think necessarily someone more than the other. I think, again, it's been proven time and time again that everyone can play at a high level on any given day. That's why you see some really great matches between players, because a lot of it also comes down to the day and the matchup of the two styles of play.

Q. Do you think you're in the form of your life?
JOHANNA KONTA: I think I'm playing some good tennis. I don't think I'm playing unbelievable tennis. I think I'm playing, I guess, with the mindset of just trying to get better, like I have done every other match I've played in my career, every other tournament I've played as well.

I don't think there's anything different that's happening.

Q. Do you feel you can go up a level from where you're at now?
JOHANNA KONTA: I definitely believe in myself, the fact that I can keep improving, I can keep getting better, yes.

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