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AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 21, 2020

Johanna Konta

Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

O. JABEUR/J. Konta

6-4, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Obviously you haven't played a lot of matches. Do you think that was a factor today?
JOHANNA KONTA: I think definitely. It's an unfortunate thing. It's part of the sport and it's part of also the way I play, and it's something that will come with time and matches.

I think ultimately the main thing was to start playing again, and I am. And how I physically felt out there is obviously a massive tick for me compared to where I was in September of last year.

So, I mean, yeah, before Brisbane, I had been out for almost, yeah, four, four-and-a-half months. So it's been quite a bit of time, not far off getting a protected ranking.

I think giving myself that time to find a level that I want to play is going to be important. And, yeah, I mean, I also played a very good opponent (smiling). So, you know, it's not all on my racquet.

Q. I think your serve was slower than it would have been had you been maybe playing full schedule. Is that like a confidence thing, or is it physical?
JOHANNA KONTA: To be honest, not too sure. The conditions were quite cool, so it's going to be a reaction to that with the ball. It's not going to fly through the air as quick.

But then for sure, I mean, when it comes to service speed, there is definitely parts of that to, you know, how your rhythm is or also how you feel it during the match and how you play.

I mean, I think that also comes with matches. But I didn't feel like I served badly. Just I didn't feel I was necessarily that effective against my opponent today.

Q. You played her in Eastbourne and she won there. Did you expect her to be as difficult as she proved to be?
JOHANNA KONTA: 100%. I expected her to play well against me. I expected her to be inspired to play well, and she's the kind of player that also gets on a bit of a roll.

That also unleashes more of her creativity and more of her unpredictableness. That's also why she's very difficult to play.

It's unfortunate that I couldn't quite find a way to make things more difficult for her and just find a way to ask some more questions of her. Yeah, I guess that's just where we are right now.

Q. How did the knee feel today? I mean, can you go back and just start immediately working toward another tournament, or do you have more kind of...
JOHANNA KONTA: Well, this is a big part of me returning to play. You know, I knew that by taking a decision to come play here, I was opening myself up to potentially it not going well or for it to be difficult.

It's always difficult to come back after not playing a certain amount of time. But what was good today was my knee felt quite good, and it was actually even better than Brisbane. That's a very positive thing for me, especially for where I was in September.

So, yeah, definitely that's a big positive, and something that I'm very pleased about moving forward.

Q. Did you give serious consideration to missing Australia altogether?
JOHANNA KONTA: It was part of the discussion. It was as much part of it as coming here, so it wasn't so much of deciding to come or not come. It was kind of being open to all eventualities. I was also prepared that when I came out that we will see also when I'm out here.

There was no indication for me not to play. But equally my return-to-play protocol and things like that I didn't complete back home. I completed here. So that was a decision I took with my team and how I felt to be able to do that.

But again, really happy I did that. I think there is no other place to be able to come back to match play than in matches.

Q. Do you think you'll have a full schedule this year or will it be just a case of...
JOHANNA KONTA: I mean, I'm playing a full schedule but obviously it will depend on what tournaments I play. We're still deciding now of where to do, what to do.

Q. Do you think there is any chance you might reconsider your decision to not play Fed Cup?
JOHANNA KONTA: No, not as of now. Again, it's a decision encompassing a number of things. Yeah, as of now, no.

Q. (Question about return to play.) In newspaper language, could we call that a fitness test or is it more complicated than that?
JOHANNA KONTA: No, it's more complicated than that. For example, with the way that I was even coming back to playing tennis, it was all about moderating kind of the load levels of how much I do one day and then bringing it back down and then bringing it back up and kind of doing this essentially (indicating waves with hand).

And that's just to reintroduce my knee to loading and to consistent loading to then hopefully then it being able to withstand hopefully back-to-back high loads when I'm playing a tournament, for example, when I'm playing matches all the way to the end.

It's all that. It was then to challenge it to play matches, which I didn't do at home, which I started here when I came out.

Q. Are you going to get on the plane feeling actually not bad at all about yourself even though you didn't win a match?
JOHANNA KONTA: Should I feel bad about myself for not winning a match?

Q. No, a balance between you didn't get any points, but on the outside do you feel like you might be able to play more?
JOHANNA KONTA: Obviously I play this sport because I love to compete and I love to win. I love to go deep in tournaments. I work towards lifting trophies. That's why I play. That's what I do love about this sport.

However, what fulfills me from this sport is to feel how it feels to learn, how it feels to grow, how it feels to work with great people, and that's a day-to-day fulfillment.

So overall, for me losing this match here or losing my match in Brisbane, that doesn't change that day-to-day fulfillment. So, no, I'm fine.

Q. Do you know where you might play next, Jo?
JOHANNA KONTA: Not decided yet. I'm not sure. We'll see how we do things.

Q. Is surgery an option you have discussed with your team?
JOHANNA KONTA: For what?

Q. If the knee injury doesn't improve over the next 12 months.
JOHANNA KONTA: But it is improving. It is improved. I mean, I'm not going to cut myself open just for the hell of it.

No, like...

Q. It's never been discussed in the last couple of months?
JOHANNA KONTA: No, no, not for what I have and not for the severity of what I had. It's not necessary.

Q. I assume all things being equal you would definitely play Indian Wells and Miami.
JOHANNA KONTA: Oh, 100%. Indian Wells and Miami I'm definitely playing. It's just in between of how many and where.

Q. Are there any options you can mention about tournaments you might look at?
JOHANNA KONTA: I mean, I know I'm currently entered into -- actually, I'm currently entered into Dubai, Doha, and Monterrey, but then obviously seeing if maybe St. Petersburg or maybe not. I don't know. I'm not entered there so it's just a question of wildcards, that kind of question. So I don't know yet.

And then how many, all of them, only a few of them? Yeah, we won't make that decision today.

Q. Do you feel ideally that you'll be fit to play two or three of those?
JOHANNA KONTA: I think that's part of the conversation. It's just how to schedule it. Obviously Indian Wells and Miami is four weeks of tournaments. Obviously two tournaments but it's four weeks of being on the road.

And then just seeing how we can, yeah, schedule it with that in mind, as well. And hopefully, too, have enough opportunity to play, as well.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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