Johanna Konta snaps back at Wimbledon reporter for 'patronizing,' 'dismissive' question after loss
Johanna Konta got into it with a reporter after she lost in straight sets 7-6(5), 6-1 to unseeded Barbora Strycova during the quarterfinals at Wimbledon on Tuesday.
Konta, ranked 18th in the world and seeded 19th at Wimbledon, told a reporter he was being “patronizing and disrespectful” after he asked if she “needs to have a look at herself.”
Konta dismisses reporter
Konta had 34 unforced errors in a match that lasted 1:37. A reporter mentioned this and recounted three specific instances of missed points, setting off the awkward exchange at the 3:30 mark of Wimbledon’s press conference.
Reporter: “Do you not have to look at yourself a little bit about how you cope with these big points? Because it’s all very well to saying it’s a lot to do with your opponent but there were key points where you could have done better.
Konta: Is that in your professional tennis opinion?
Reporter: No, that’s just as a watching spectator just as everyone else ... who’s rooting you on.
Konta: I mean, I don't think you need to pick on me in a harsh way. I think I’m very open with you guys and I say how I feel out there and if you don’t want to accept that answer or 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 that I competed. But yeah I don’t have much else to say to that question
Reporter: I just say to you as someone who wants to presumably wants to go on from here, learn from this and win a grand slam one day, is it not something that you need—
Konta: Please don’t patronize me. No, no, you are [patronizing me] in the way you asked your question. You’re being quite disrespectful and patronizing me. I’m a professional competitor who did her best today and that’s all there is to that.
Officials moved on to the next question at that point.
Konta still needs Grand Slam break through
Konta was up 4-1 against Strycova, the world No. 54, but lost the first set and did little in the second. Her serve gave out and she was out of another Grand Slam. .
Konta’s loss was similar the 2019 French Open semifinals loss against unseeded teenager Marketa Vondrousova. The 28-year-old is still after her first Grand Slam title after debuting in one at Wimbledon in 2012.
She’s reached the semifinals at the 2016 Australian Open and 2017 Wimbledon, and reached the quarterfinal at the 2017 Australian Open. Her Grand Slam singles record was 30-22 going into the tournament.
She is Britian’s top-ranked player and is still trying to become the first British woman to win the tournament in more than 40 years. Last year she was the first British player to reach the semis since Virginia Wade in 1978.
Konta insisted Strycova earned the berth and a semifinal match against Serena Williams. That Williams was taken to three sets and seemed to falter at times in the prior match hurt all the more for British fans hoping their player would finally break free for a title.
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