What has become of the woman she replaced as British No 1 as Emma Raducanu posts images of her off-season training block? Or, to put it another way, is Johanna Konta on her way out? Konta hasn't completely vanished from view. After serving as a pundit for Amazon Prime's recent coverage of Indian Wells, she will be a panelist on BBC1's Question of Sport on Friday night. Her new job as a talk show host is going well.
Konta has also been missing from the National Tennis Centre in southwest London, where she would ordinarily be working on her fitness in preparation for the Australian Open in January. Instead, individuals close to her believe she is planning a small wedding ceremony with long-term partner Jackson Wade, which is expected to take place in December. A trip to Melbourne is hampered by a number of practical obstacles. Konta, who is now ranked No. 112, would have to rely on other players' withdrawals to gain direct entry to the Australian Open. She'd also have to show that she's been vaccinated twice against Covid. Given how suspicious she has been about vaccination in the past, this appears unlikely.
Konta’s management said; “Jo is currently working to assess if she’ll be ready to play. With the entry deadline being on the 6th December, she’ll be making a decision soon.” However, it is widely assumed in British tennis that she will not fly to Australia, since she has reached the point in her career where other commitments — most notably, raising a family – will take precedence.
“I can’t say I ever imagine myself playing on tour as a mother,” Konta replied, “I am not closed to the idea. One thing I have worked very hard on during my career is to stay quite open to things around me. But probably I’d see myself retire and then start a family.” It would be a difficult task to return from a baby break. Even with the WTA's assistance, a protected ranking of No 112 is insufficient to obtain entry to many elite events, so Konta may be forced to compete in ITF tournaments. Another difficulty is her knee tendonitis, which she has been dealing with for the past three years and has conceded she may never fully recover from.
On the court, Konta had a rollercoaster year in 2021, with one high point coming in June when she won Nottingham, becoming the first British woman to win a WTA title on home soil since Sue Barker in 1981.