Britain’s Jo Konta criticises ‘patronising’ reporter after Wimbledon defeat
Written by News on 10/07/2019
British number one Johanna Konta was involved in a heated exchange with a reporter – accusing him of patronising her – after she lost her Wimbledon quarter-final.
Konta, the 19th seed, was beaten in straight sets on Centre Court by her unseeded Czech Barbora Strycova who won 7-6, 6-1.
In a post-match news conference, a journalist asked if Konta, who was the last British singles player left standing in the tournament, had to “look at herself a little bit” and how she copes with big points.
Konta then replied: “Is that in your professional tennis opinion?”
Visibly offended, the player later said: “I don’t think you need to pick on me in a harsh way.
“I think I am very open with you guys and I say how I feel out there.
“And if you don’t want to accept that answer or you don’t agree with it, that’s fine. But I still believe in the tennis that I play and I still believe in the way I competed.”
The reporter then went on to say he was asking her as somebody “who presumably wants to go on from here, learn from this and win a grand slam one day”.
Konta then cut the reporter off and responded with: “Please don’t patronise me. In the way you are asking your question, you are being quite disrespectful and you are patronising me. I am a professional competitor who did her best today and that’s all there is to that.”
Konta reached the semi-finals of the French Open last month, but lost to unseeded Czech teenager Marketa Vondrousova after blowing a 5-3 lead in two sets.
In her quarter-final against Strycova on Tuesday, Konta hit 34 unforced errors while the Czech produced a clinical display.
“It sounds crazy. It’s happening but I can’t believe it. My voice is shaking,” Strycova said after the match. “I think this is one of the best matches I played here.”
Strycova has progressed to her first grand slam semi-final, where she will face American 11th seed and seven-time Wimbledon champion Serena Williams on Thursday.
The other semi-final will be between number seven seed Simona Halep of Romania and Ukrainian Elina Svitolina, seeded eighth.
The only home players left in the five main draws of the tournament are Andy Murray, who is with Williams in the mixed doubles, and the British duo of Evan Hoyt and Eden Silva who are in the same event.
Murray and Williams won in two sets to advance into the third round, while Hoyt and Silva came through in three to progress to the quarters.
(c) Sky News 2019: Britain’s Jo Konta criticises ‘patronising’ reporter after Wimbledon defeat
