Australian Open Johanna Konta

Australian Open Tuesday, 9 February 2021 Melbourne, Victoria, Australia Johanna Konta Press Conference Q. Wonder if you can give us an idea of how K. JUVAN/J. Konta frustrating this must be. Traveled all that way, gone through the quarantine and for this to happen. W/O JOHANNA KONTA: For now, all I can say is that I don't THE MODERATOR: Questions, please. really know what to make of it yet. I think just because it's happened so recently I feel in a bit of state of shock, Q. Obviously not the best circumstances, but just almost like having an out-of-body experience a little bit. I tell us what's going on. have very little experience with acute injuries on court and having to withdraw, and that's, knock on wood, that's JOHANNA KONTA: Well, I pulled my ab, and that made very lucky for me. I haven't had too much experience it difficult for me to serve. That's why I had to retire, with this. basically. For now, it's a bit -- I feel like I'm in a bit of shock, so I don't really know yet anything, and I haven't So again, it's a learning curve for me, it's a new been able to yet check in with the physios and all that, so experience, one I hope not to have many of. And for me that's all I have for now. now it's just about looking after my body, assessing what it is, and then hopefully I'll still be able to have some Q. Did it go in that game when you were serving for opportunities to play while I'm here. the set? Do you think that the buildup might have contributed? Q. I appreciate you just said you haven't had it properly assessed. Do you have a gut feeling how JOHANNA KONTA: So I felt it in kind of my second bad it is and how long you'll be out for? service game of the first set, so then I was just conscious of trying to adapt while using my legs more on my serve. JOHANNA KONTA: No, I don't have a gut feeling. Just kind of -- I was just starting to be aware of it. Yeah, no, I don't. And then kind of my second-last service game of the first Q. The last time you had it, is it similar to that? Do set, that's when it started to get quite painful, and I kind you remember how long you were out -- of then again tried to just manage it the best I could, but then in my last service game of the first set, that's where JOHANNA KONTA: Again, it was a long time ago. I it got just, I guess, that's when I needed to intervene with don't know. I don't think I was out for too long at the the physios to try and offload it in any way with tape and time. But yeah, I don't know for this where I am at yet. things like that. I'm going to go through the due process with the physios and the doctors between today and tomorrow, and then I don't have answers for you of why this happened. I I'll be able to kind of get a feeling for what I'm dealing don't know, to be honest. I haven't had an ab issue in a with. very, very long time, so, yeah, I don't know. Q. There have been a few withdrawals last week and Q. I was just going to ask if this was something you this week. Given the circumstances with quarantine have experienced before and whether this has been and what everybody went through to get the generally a weak area in your body in the past? Australian Open on, do you think tennis has been overly ambitious in trying to stage a Grand Slam JOHANNA KONTA: I mean, no, it hasn't been a weak tournament at this time? area, but I have had one previous experience with it, and that was at the back end of 2016. I don't know if you JOHANNA KONTA: You know, I think we have to be guys remember during kind of Beijing and Hong Kong, ambitious. We have to do the best we can for the sport but it healed nicely and, no, I haven't had issues with it. to be able to keep it going. So I don't think it's unrealistic So no. for us to want to stage events, to want to give opportunities for players to work and equally to give 104492-1-1063 2021-02-09 11:22:00 GMT Page 1 of 2 entertainment to the people that love to watch us play. So I don't think that's an unrealistic expectation. There is other sporting leagues doing it. The Super Bowl just went on. So there is plenty of things happening in the world. In terms of the amount of withdrawals, to be honest, I haven't looked into it, I haven't been looking at the scoreboard or anything like that, so I can't have much of an opinion on that, to be honest. Q. I'm just wondering what the kind of vibe has been like, say, in the locker room amongst your peers that you have been talking to? Has the whole thing, the buildup, which has obviously been very unusual, has it all felt a bit strange compared to what you're used to? JOHANNA KONTA: I mean, compared to, I guess, March -- compared to before March 2020, yes, it's strange, but post- March 2020 this feels quite normal, to be honest. We've had the experience of having a warmup event before a slam on the site of the slam at the US Open as well, so that's not a new experience. Obviously what was very unique to here was the whole quarantine period, which I think that's been and done now, and that's gotten enough oxygen, to be honest. You know, I think overall players are very grateful for the opportunity to play. You know, we can't spend all of our lives or the majority of years training only and not being able to compete, so the fact that we've had the opportunity to compete I know everyone is very grateful for that. Q. Do you know where you might be playing next? Do you have an itinerary? Are you committed to playing the Billie Jean King Cup in April? JOHANNA KONTA: I don't know when I'll be playing next. Like I said, right now I need to assess kind of where I am with my body in the next 24, 48 hours and then I'll have a better idea of what I have, what I'm dealing with. FastScripts by ASAP Sports 104492-1-1063 2021-02-09 11:22:00 GMT Page 2 of 2.

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