Johanna Konta: Former British No 1 retires from tennis aged 30 – how knee injury eventually took its toll

Johanna Konta has announced her retirement from tennis at the age of 30.

The former British No 1 reached her highest world ranking of No 4 back in 2017, the same year she reached the Wimbledon semi-finals.

Konta also made the last four at the Australian Open in 2016 and French Open in 2019, and won four titles on the WTA Tour, most recently at the Nottingham Open earlier this year.

In a social media post entitled “Grateful”, Konta wrote: “This is the word that I’ve probably used the most during my career, and is the word that I feel explains it best at the end.

“My playing career has come to an end, and I am so incredibly grateful for the career that it turned out to be.

“All the evidence pointed towards me not “making” it in this profession. However my luck materialised in the people that came into my life and impacted my existence in ways that transcended tennis.

“I am so incredibly grateful for these people. You know who you are.

“Through my own resilience and through the guidance of others, I got to live my dreams. I got to become what I wanted and said as a child.

“How incredibly fortunate I count myself to be.

“How grateful I am.”

Back in June Konta had suggested a persistent knee injury was likely to never go away.

“Will it be part of the rest of my career? Possibly,” Konta said. “Tendon issues, they’re not simple, they don’t follow any specific blueprint on rest, recovery, rehabilitation and then you’re back good to go, it’s basically just management.”

Konta retires – Why now? One injury too many?

Born in Australia to Hungarian parents, Konta moved to the UK aged 14 and became a British citizen in 2012, the same year the derogatory “Plastic Brit” title came to light during the London Olympics – where 60 members of Team GB’s 542-strong team were born abroad. 

Konta, like so many of GB’s Olympic stars, was portrayed as a “Plastic Brit” in some quarters, and as is so often and unfortunately the case her career-best achievements would also prompt questions about her nationality and important tennis-related discussions like whether she knew the words to the national anthem.    

Under-appreciated by some, tennis fans not bogged down by heritage simply admired her tenacity and ability to produce “clutch” tennis, which saw her climb up the rankings, enjoy deep runs at majors, and had many speculating whether she would one-day end the nation’s wait for a female grand-slam winner. 

However, while it was Emma Raducanu who eventually followed in Virginia Wade’s footsteps, Konta’s struggles with injury and form saw early exits become a recurring theme instead. 

A mini-resurgence in 2019 saw her reach the French Open semis then the quarters at both Wimbledon and the US Open, but she was unable to put together a solid grand-slam showing thereafter. 

Accusing a reporter of being “patronising” after her Wimbledon quarter-final defeat two years ago showed the fight that was always present on and off the court, but eventually it was injuries that took their toll. 

This year she retired in her first-round match at the Australian Open and lost her opener at the French Open before Covid regulations ruled her out of Wimbledon and a thigh injury out of the US Open.

Her 2021 record reads, and ends, 10 wins to eight losses, and after four months out the prospect of returning for the 2022 season appears to have been an obstacle too daunting and difficult to face. 

Ultimately, a persistent tendonitis issue in her right knee meant the quality of a player that peaked at No 4 four years ago was never regularly on display.  

A case of what could have been, but as her slightly vague social media post alludes to, she is simply grateful to have competed so strongly in the sport she loved. 

The LTA praised Konta for her “hugely impressive career”, which saw her hold the spot of British No 1 for longer than any other female player since WTA rankings began.

Scott Lloyd, chief executive of the LTA, said: “On behalf of the LTA and everyone involved in British Tennis I want to express my appreciation to Johanna for her hugely impressive career.

“To reach the semi-finals of three slams and spend more time as British number one than any other woman since the WTA rankings began, shows the level of her achievements. We wish her well in the future, and hope that she will continue to play a role in British tennis in the years to come.”

Iain Bates, LTA head of women’s tennis, added: “Johanna is a tremendous inspiration for so many in British Tennis and everyone at the LTA and involved in the sport is immensely proud of what she has achieved.

“It has been a great privilege for me personally to watch her evolve into the player she became. She leaves a legacy of perseverance, determination and professionalism that will be carried forward by the current and next group of players.”