‘I've finished playing the sport still loving it': former British tennis No 1 Konta retires
The Guardian|December 02, 2021
Johanna Konta, one of the most successful British tennis players in the modern game, has announced her retirement from the professional circuit at the age of 30.
Tumaini Carayol
‘I've finished playing the sport still loving it': former British tennis No 1 Konta retires
“There’s a lot of highs, a lot of lows, a lot of different emotions that come with being an elite sportsperson,” the former British No 1 said of her decision. “So for me, it was just important to give myself the space and the time to let emotions settle, let feelings settle. And I felt like I would just know when I was ready.”

Konta reached a career-high ranking of No 4 in 2017 and was also the first British woman in more than 30 years to reach a grand slam quarterfinal, contesting three semi-finals in total, including at Wimbledon in 2017. She also achieved the rare feat of clinching quarter-final berths at all four majors. This year she took her fourth and final career WTA title, in Nottingham. Her biggest win came at the Miami Open in 2017.

Konta was born in Sydney to Hungarian parents and moved to Britain aged 14, representing Great Britain from 2012. In 2019, she led Great Britain out of the zonal divisions of the Billie Jean King Cup for the first time in 26 years.

This story is from the December 02, 2021 edition of The Guardian.

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This story is from the December 02, 2021 edition of The Guardian.

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