Johanna Konta finally taking her rightful place in British hearts
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Updated 12/07/2017 at 10:48 GMT
The British public finally fully embraced Johanna Konta following her victory over Simona Halep... but it’s been a long time coming – writes Pete Sharland.
Johanna Konta of Great Britain celebrates victory after the Ladies Singles quarter final match against Simona Halep of Romania on day eight of the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Cl
Image credit: Getty Images
What happened?
On Tuesday Konta became the first British woman since Virginia Wade in 1978 to reach the semi-finals of Wimbledon.
Despite losing the opening set to second seed Halep, who missed the chance to move up to number one in the world rankings, Konta rallied superbly and dug deep to force a decider.
The momentum swung her way and with her serve at its brilliant best she overpowered one of the best players in the world right now.
Wade was in attendance and was delighted to see Konta emulate her.
I'm just surprised it's taken so long. It's fine to be the last British women's winner at Wimbledon but it's better to have plenty of British players to win. It's a win-win situation frankly and I'm thrilled for her. I know how much pressure there is.
Where has Konta come from?
If you’re a dedicated tennis fan this performance from Konta is no surprise. The last 18 months or so have seen a meteoric rise for her. She won at Stanford in 2016, beating her next Wimbledon opponent Venus Williams, after reaching the semi-finals of the Australian Open earlier the same year. She reached the quarter-finals of the same competition this year after winning the WTA event in Sydney.
She also won the Miami Open before a traditionally disappointing season on clay, which can perhaps explain why she exited the public’s eye a little.
However, for most of career she has struggled to find consistency in her game and has often cracked in pressure moments.
This has of course changed, but even as her game improved you never got quite the same feeling that the public wanted Konta to succeed in the same way they supported say Laura Robson or Heather Watson when they were emerging.
The Wimbledon paradox
Her performance against Halep catapulted her right back into view however, as the casual fans flocked to their televisions, laptops and mobile devices to watch their beloved Wimbledon.
A British player could win one of the other Grand Slams but it counts for little unless they turn up at Wimbledon. Just look at Andy Murray, whose debut Slam victory at the US Open victory was paltry compared to the celebrations after his Wimbledon win the following year.
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Johanna Konta
Image credit: Getty Images
Of course Wimbledon is special, a slam like no other, but the demands it places on the British contingent are intense.
The status Wimbledon commands in British society is unmatched across sport, and as such a lot of viewers this year will have been watching Konta for the first time.
This both puts immediate pressure on her and at the same time causes instant judgement. The expectation is that she should both fly the flag and let us down in the typical British fashion.
Konta's belief
If the British public took some time to jump on the bandwagon, Konta says she was never in doubt about her own potential.
I've always believed in my own ability, ever since I was nine years old, and I've always dreamt big. But I'm much more process-orientated, so I don't give myself too much time to dream. I'm more focused on the work. To be in the semi-finals of my home Slam and to play like that in front of a full Centre Court was pretty special. It was a tremendous match, played at a very high level.
And what about that semi-final on Thursday?
I think what Venus and her sister (Serena) have given our sport is absolutely tremendous. The way they've elevated women's tennis is truly inspiring. So I feel very excited and very humbled to be sharing the court with her again. She got the better of me the last time we played , so I'm really looking forward to playing her.
Some will question her heritage but to do so is absurd and frankly a little boring.
The most interesting and relevant fact about Konta's heritage is that her grandfather played in the same Hungary team as Ferenc Puskas.
Lessons learnt?
Perhaps it is the painful memories of the past that have stopped the public from fully embracing Konta. Watson and in particular Robson failed to live up the immense hype they were given, although admittedly they probably showed more initial promise.
The stance is understandable but it seems naïve. The risk of putting too much pressure on a young player is there for all to see but surely it is better for the pressure build up gradually than a player suffer an explosion overnight?
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Laura Robson of Great Britain looks dejected in her women's singles match against Marina Erakovic of New Zealand during the Aegon Surbiton Trophy at Surbiton Racket and Fitness Club on June 7, 2017 in Surbiton, England.
Image credit: Getty Images
Fans should be encouraging every single British player and the support needs to continue to be there for players like Watson, Robson and Naomi Broady; it can’t all be directed at Konta. That way a pool of talent can develop in both the men’s and women’s games, rather than just having all our eggs in the Murray/Konta baskets.
The Murray effect
The emergence of Murray has more than made up for the constant disappointment of Tim Henman, but due to the magnificence of those around him he has been unable to dominate in the way British fans would like.
However, 2016 was the year of Murray, he could do no wrong and finally became the world number one. Murray’s performances were remarkable and he will go down as one of the greatest British tennis players of all time.
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ritain's Andy Murray (C) and Britain's Johanna Konta (L) leave after attending a practice session at The All England Lawn Tennis Club in Wimbledon, southwest London, on July 4, 2017 on the second day of the 2017 Wimbledon Championships.
Image credit: Getty Images
But has his success had a negative effect on players like Konta?
You would have thought Murray’s success would have re-energised people about British tennis but that doesn’t seem to have been the case. If anything Murray now commands too much of the attention.
Konta’s victory is a turning point and, whilst Williams will pose an extremely tricky challenge, she has the tools to become another household name.
-- Pete Sharland
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