Jo Konta was embroiled in a heated press conference row following her defeat in the quarter-finals at Wimbledon.
The British No 1 had a golden opportunity to progress to the last four but was dumped out of her home Grand Slam in straight sets by Czech player Barbora Strycova on Tuesday, losing 7-6, 6-1.
Konta deserved huge credit for getting to the last eight at a second consecutive Grand Slam but, as in the semi-finals of the French Open, when the favourite’s tag was on her, she was found wanting.
Jo Konta became embroiled in a heated press conference row following her Wimbledon loss
A journalist abruptly asked afterwards whether Konta’s errors were to blame for the loss
However, while conducting her post-match media duties, Konta was involved in a heated exchange with a journalist from the Daily Express.
After Konta had heaped praise on Strycova for her performance, the journalist questioned whether or not she should lay the blame at her own door and the fact she made 33 unforced errors and mistakes in major parts of the match.
Konta was taken aback by the line of questioning and insisted she felt she was being picked on. She also told the journalist ‘please don’t patronise me’ after he asked another question moments later.
This is how the situation played out…
JOURNALIST: Looking at numbers, 33 unforced errors, then you had a smash at the net which you hit straight to her, then towards the end of the third set you had a double-fault, then missed a drive volley. Do you not have to look at yourself a little bit about how you cope with these big points? It’s all very well saying it’s a lot to do with your opponent, but there were key points when you perhaps could have done better.
KONTA: Is that in your professional tennis opinion?
J: No, that’s just as a watching spectator with everyone else on Centre Court willing you on.
She told the journalist ‘please don’t patronise me’ after he asked another question just after
KONTA: Okay. I mean, I don’t think you need to pick on me in a harsh way. I mean, I think I’m very open with you guys. I say how I feel out there. If you don’t want to accept that answer or you don’t agree with it, that’s fine.
I still believe in the tennis that I play. I still believe in the way I competed. Yeah, I don’t have much else to say to your question.
J: I’m just asking you as somebody who presumably wants to go on from here, learn from this, win a Grand Slam one day. Is it not something —
KONTA: Please don’t patronise me.
J: I’m not patronising you.
KONTA: No, no, you are. In the way you’re asking your question, you’re being quite disrespectful and you’re patronizing me. I’m a professional competitor who did her best today, and that’s all there is to that.
MODERATOR: Let’s move on to the next question.
Konta had been hoping to match the achievement of England’s Lionesses, many of whom were watching from the Royal Box, by reaching the semi-finals.
She could not have made a better start, saving a break point in the opening game and moving into a 3-0 and then 4-1 lead, but nerves were evident in the seventh game as Konta twice missed routine forehands wide and then blazed a backhand long to give back the break.
Konta shows her frustration during an error-strewn performance on Centre Court
Konta reacts after losing the opening set on a tie break 7-5 having led the set 4-1 at one point
Konta had the backing of most of the crowd on Centre Court but crashed out to Strycova
Against Kvitova she was able to use her opponent’s pace but here the onus was on Konta to apply the speed to the ball all the time, which is never easy with an arm full of tension.
At 4-4, Konta was in danger of losing a fourth game in a row but she saved a break point with another drop shot and went on to hold.
She was spraying errors off her forehand – always the most likely wing to break down – but at least took the set to a tie-break.
It was close all the way through, with Strycova screaming after going the wrong way with a volley and getting passed for 3-3, but a netted forehand from Konta – her 22nd unforced error of the set – handed it to the Czech on her first opportunity.
The start of the second set was where Konta had seized control of the match against Kvitova on Monday but here she immediately found herself in deeper trouble when she dropped serve in the second game.
The end was nigh when Konta blazed a forehand drive volley over the baseline in another moment reminiscent of the French Open to drop serve again in the sixth game, and a final error sealed her fate.