Dubai: ‘All the world’s a stage,
And all the men and women merely players;
They have their exits and their entrances,
And one man in his time plays many parts,
His acts being seven ages… “
The great bard said it so well, but Great Britain’s top women’s tennis player Johanna Konta tends to believe in a somewhat different version of what William Shakespeare said.
A first round winner against Russia’s Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in Monday’s last match on centre court, Konta walked her way into the record books by becoming the “first British woman” to ever win a main round match in Dubai. Last year, Konta was at the Dubai Duty Free Women’s Open, but couldn’t play as she had to pull out on-site. But this year the 26-year-old has doubled her effort on debut while booking her place against Daria Kasatkina in Wednesday’s Round Two.
Asked later about her on-court behaviour, especially when she is not up to her best tennis, Konta said: “I definitely think there’s an element of acting on court. I think there is a good old saying of ‘fake it till you make it’. I think that definitely applies to some days more than others, obviously.
“We are humans, every player out there. We’re not going to feel great every single day. We’re not always going to play great. Those days where you’re not playing your best, you do put on a persona and you do try to fight your way through those days, try to find the best level you can on that day.”
Konta delved further in explaining her personality. “I always look to be as positive as I can and as happy as I can on court,” she explained.
The Briton is pleased with the way the current season has been progressing for her. “I think most importantly I’m really happy that I’m playing, consistently playing, earning my way into more and more matches. I think for me coming into this season, it’s always been about finding my level again, really working towards playing my best level again. I feel like I’m doing that,” she explained.
Born to Hungarian parents, Konta chose to become a British citizen in May 2012 and later switched her sporting allegiance from Australia to Great Britain. She has had a modest start to 2018 reaching the quarter-final at the Brisbane International before retiring with a hip injury. At the Australian Open, Konta was knocked out in the second round by a lower ranked Bernarda Pera, but she did well last week while reaching the quarter-final of the Qatar Open.
“I feel like we’re doing good work with Michael [Joyce] (Maria Sharapova’s former coach) trying to get the best version of myself, on a consistent basis, and equally having good tolerance and patience that it will come together,” Konta hoped.
