AUSTRALIAN OPEN

February 9, 2021

Johanna Konta

Press Conference

K. JUVAN/J. Konta

W/O

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Obviously not the best circumstances, but just tell us what's going on.

JOHANNA KONTA: Well, I pulled my ab, and that made it difficult for me to serve. That's why I had to retire, basically. For now, it's a bit -- I feel like I'm in a bit of shock, so I don't really know yet anything, and I haven't been able to yet check in with the physios and all that, so that's all I have for now.

Q. Did it go in that game when you were serving for the set? Do you think that the buildup might have contributed?

JOHANNA KONTA: So I felt it in kind of my second service game of the first set, so then I was just conscious of trying to adapt while using my legs more on my serve. Just kind of -- I was just starting to be aware of it.

And then kind of my second-last service game of the first set, that's when it started to get quite painful, and I kind of then again tried to just manage it the best I could, but then in my last service game of the first set, that's where it got just, I guess, that's when I needed to intervene with the physios to try and offload it in any way with tape and things like that.

I don't have answers for you of why this happened. I don't know, to be honest. I haven't had an ab issue in a very, very long time, so, yeah, I don't know.

Q. I was just going to ask if this was something you have experienced before and whether this has been generally a weak area in your body in the past?

JOHANNA KONTA: I mean, no, it hasn't been a weak area, but I have had one previous experience with it, and that was at the back end of 2016. I don't know if you guys remember during kind of Beijing and Hong Kong, but it healed nicely and, no, I haven't had issues with it. So no.

Q. Wonder if you can give us an idea of how frustrating this must be. Traveled all that way, gone through the quarantine and for this to happen.

JOHANNA KONTA: For now, all I can say is that I don't really know what to make of it yet. I think just because it's happened so recently I feel in a bit of state of shock, almost like having an out-of-body experience a little bit. I have very little experience with acute injuries on court and having to withdraw, and that's, knock on wood, that's very lucky for me. I haven't had too much experience with this.

So again, it's a learning curve for me, it's a new experience, one I hope not to have many of. And for me now it's just about looking after my body, assessing what it is, and then hopefully I'll still be able to have some opportunities to play while I'm here.

Q. I appreciate you just said you haven't had it properly assessed. Do you have a gut feeling how bad it is and how long you'll be out for?

JOHANNA KONTA: No, I don't have a gut feeling. Yeah, no, I don't.

Q. The last time you had it, is it similar to that? Do you remember how long you were out --

JOHANNA KONTA: Again, it was a long time ago. I don't know. I don't think I was out for too long at the time. But yeah, I don't know for this where I am at yet. I'm going to go through the due process with the physios and the doctors between today and tomorrow, and then I'll be able to kind of get a feeling for what I'm dealing with.

Q. There have been a few withdrawals last week and this week. Given the circumstances with quarantine and what everybody went through to get the Australian Open on, do you think tennis has been overly ambitious in trying to stage a Grand Slam tournament at this time?

JOHANNA KONTA: You know, I think we have to be ambitious. We have to do the best we can for the sport to be able to keep it going. So I don't think it's unrealistic for us to want to stage events, to want to give opportunities for players to work and equally to give entertainment to the people that love to watch us play.

So I don't think that's an unrealistic expectation. There is other sporting leagues doing it. The Super Bowl just went on. So there is plenty of things happening in the world.

In terms of the amount of withdrawals, to be honest, I haven't looked into it, I haven't been looking at the scoreboard or anything like that, so I can't have much of an opinion on that, to be honest.

Q. I'm just wondering what the kind of vibe has been like, say, in the locker room amongst your peers that you have been talking to? Has the whole thing, the buildup, which has obviously been very unusual, has it all felt a bit strange compared to what you're used to?

JOHANNA KONTA: I mean, compared to, I guess, March -- compared to before March 2020, yes, it's strange, but post- March 2020 this feels quite normal, to be honest. We've had the experience of having a warmup event before a slam on the site of the slam at the US Open as well, so that's not a new experience. Obviously what was very unique to here was the whole quarantine period, which I think that's been and done now, and that's gotten enough oxygen, to be honest.

You know, I think overall players are very grateful for the opportunity to play.

You know, we can't spend all of our lives or the majority of years training only and not being able to compete, so the fact that we've had the opportunity to compete I know everyone is very grateful for that.

Q. Do you know where you might be playing next? Do you have an itinerary? Are you committed to playing the Billie Jean King Cup in April?

JOHANNA KONTA: I don't know when I'll be playing next. Like I said, right now I need to assess kind of where I am with my body in the next 24, 48 hours and then I'll have a better idea of what I have, what I'm dealing with.