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THE CHAMPIONSHIPS

July 8, 2019

Johanna Konta

Wimbledon, London, England

J. KONTA/P. Kvitova

4-6, 6-2, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Talk us through how you felt the momentum changing, especially through the last set.
JOHANNA KONTA: Uhm, I mean, I think there was very little in the first set to begin with. She started playing very well. She also has the capability to just play incredibly well. Her game style really lends itself to being very dangerous on this surface. I knew going into it there will be big pockets of the match where I will have very little say in it, whether it's going for me or against me.

I actually thought I did quite well in that first set to stay with her. Yeah, down to a couple points of why I lost that first set. I felt I kind of kept that going, tried to stay there with her. Then I definitely felt like I gained a bit more momentum than her. I just felt I went with that.

Overall I'm just pleased that I competed well. Also towards the end I thought I had good perspective because she started playing very freely. I mean, the balls were coming through quick.

Just happy I was able to, yeah, keep a good perspective and just enjoy competing against her because she's very tough to play on this surface. I'm really pleased with that.

Q. How well do you know Barbora? What do you make of her game?
JOHANNA KONTA: I mean, she's a very crafty player. She knows how to mix up the game. I mean, I haven't played her in a little while. I think the last time I played her, maybe only time, I don't know, was in Tokyo a few years ago.

She knows how to play on this surface. I mean, like me, she's won four matches, too, to get here, as well. Yeah, just looking forward to playing another great player. Nice to be in the quarterfinals of a slam again. Yeah, looking forward to it.

Q. Can you compare the feeling that you have now compared to two years ago?
JOHANNA KONTA: I mean, I'm not one to really compare myself to myself or to anything really. Obviously the experience that I had in 2017 was a magnificent one. It was something that is incredibly special to me.

Equally how I'm doing so far, I'm just really pleased with the level I'm playing, how I'm competing, how I'm really just trying to find a way in each match that I play. I'm playing very tough matches against very tough opponents. Just the way I'm handling different challenges in the match.

Overall I'm enjoying this tournament for what it is, how I feel like I'm still building on each match that I'm playing.

Q. You have an amazing record in deciding sets this year. How proud are you of that? What do you think it says about your game, where you are mentally?
JOHANNA KONTA: I mean, obviously that's something I can be really proud of. I mean, to know, even if it's just for myself, that I have the capability to stay there as long as I need to for however long, even if losing the first set, I know I have every opportunity to get back into the match.

I mean, obviously it's a good feeling to have as a player. It definitely comes with match fitness, as well, with playing a lot of them. Yeah, I mean, overall, yeah, I'm pleased with it.

It's going to happen that I'm going to lose some, as well. It's not a one-way street. I'm pleased with the wins I'm getting in this situation.

Q. More top seeds going out again today. Do you look at the draw? Will you be aware of people saying, This draw is wide open? Serena is still there. Do you look at how many top seeds are going out and think it's an opportunity?
JOHANNA KONTA: No, I don't look at it like that because every person that's still in the draw, there's a reason why they're still in the draw. The eight best players of this tournament are still playing. They're the eight best players of this week.

That's really all there is on that, yeah.

Q. You tripped over in the second set, called a trainer. Talk us through what happened, how painful it was, and do you think it's going to be a problem tomorrow?
JOHANNA KONTA: I just tripped over my own foot, tweaked a little bit. It's actually normal for me. I just wanted to put some tape on it to have extra support. That's about it.

Q. Any concerns for tomorrow?
JOHANNA KONTA: No, again, this is quite normal for me. I'll probably tape, maybe not. We'll see how I wake up with it. But yeah, it is what it is.

Q. Is it inflammation? Painful at the time? Did it hurt?
JOHANNA KONTA: Yeah, no, it's just tweaking your ankle. That's basically it.

Q. You've had a great run in Paris, obviously now here. Further back in the season, what have been the defining matches for you? Good and bad from the season acted as key turning points to get to this run?
JOHANNA KONTA: I don't fundamentally believe in turning points. There's no magic switch or anything like that. I definitely am pleased with kind of just how the whole season has been progressing. I feel like I've been playing great matches throughout the whole season. Maybe at the beginning not as many in succession as I would like.

For example, even in Melbourne, I played two great matches against Ajla and then Garbine. Equally so, obviously I played some really great matches in Fed Cup as well. A lot of tough matches there.

I think each match, each practice day even, kind of builds onto each other. I think more than anything I'm just pleased that I've been showing up every day. I feel like I've come to work every day open to grow and to learn and to improve. I think that's helping me I think just keep building.

Q. In the third set it went from 5-2 to 5-4, you sat there, I don't know if you could feel the nerves around Centre Court. I certainly could. How did you keep your own composure and finish the job off?
JOHANNA KONTA: I mean, to be honest, I actually felt quite fine. The way it went from 5-2 to 5-4 was very much on Petra's racquet. I mean, she played very freely in the end. I mean, the balls were coming like bullets. Even in that 5-2 game when I was serving for it, I'm pretty sure I dug most of her returns out of the baseline.

When a player plays freely like that at the end, I mean, there's not much that I did wrong there. I actually thought I did quite well in trying to stay with her and trying to close it out in that 5-2 game. However, I also felt equally comfortable and confident that I was still doing the right things. I was either going to get another opportunity or I wasn't really.

I thought because of that, I kept an open mind. I kept, I think, just quite, yeah, open to seeing how I can just be effective on my serve and placing my serve, and then just keep going with the way I was playing.

Q. This year at Wimbledon there's been a drive to cut back on single-use plastic.
JOHANNA KONTA: (Lifting plastic cup.)

Q. Speaking to Richard Lewis earlier, for players, one of the concerns about refillable bottles is anti-doping issues around that. Do you think that's true? Maybe players could do a bit more to cut down?
JOHANNA KONTA: Well, it's definitely true. I mean, we get tested, I mean, depends, but we get tested a lot. Obviously for us to know that the water we're drinking or whatever we're taking is untampered with is incredibly important, so yeah.

Q. Talking to Judy Murray, she was talking about the next generation of stars coming through, having to build their profile in the same way Serena, Venus, Maria did, to transcend the sport, carry it further. She was saying women traditionally maybe perhaps lack the confidence to go into that side of things, like some of the males do. Did you ever feel a lack of confidence to build your own profile out of the sport, whether you like doing that, or whether you think it's a problem in the women's game as a whole?
JOHANNA KONTA: What do you mean? Like with what?

Q. Having the confidence to grow your profile away from playing tennis to become a bigger superstar.
JOHANNA KONTA: But in what way? Like what?

Q. Like extra media commitments, into lifestyle magazines, putting yourself out there, growing a profile to transcend sport and become like a household name.
JOHANNA KONTA: Okay. Well, I think -- let me think. It's an odd question.

So I think there's a number of different things. I think when Serena, Venus, and Maria were also coming up, social media wasn't as massive at that time. I think athletes had a bigger presence because them being on TV was what kind of portrayed their image originally. So to speak, there was less fish in the sea to be the face of brands, to be the ones invited to different events.

Since social media, there's a lot of Instagram stars, a lot of social media fame. That dilutes the opportunities for athletes that much more because we're up against actresses, all different... To grow your brand, you need to be associated with those brands. Those brands have a lot bigger pool to choose from.

It's not necessarily having the confidence to do so. It's, Are you the right fit for that brand? That's anyone's guess. So yeah.

Q. Have you found you're not a fit with brands in the past, personal experience you can share from that perspective to give us more of an insight?
JOHANNA KONTA: Do you want to talk to my agents?

THE MODERATOR: Apologies. I think we need to move on.

Q. You're obviously the last Brit left in the singles anyway. How important was the crowd today, and for the rest of the week? Was that a help today?
JOHANNA KONTA: I mean, they were magnificent. I mean, I think as a British player playing in front of a home crowd or any player to play in front of a home crowd, you're always going to be spoilt for support, spoilt for just energy that they give you.

Equally today, I'm really pleased that I got to play an entertaining match for them, as well, because I felt they enjoyed the match. That obviously definitely feeds a lot of excitement on court. I enjoy that position to be in. I'm really enjoying playing in front of a home crowd.

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