British No 1 Johanna Konta admits she might only have two years left in tennis

Kevin Palmer
December 12, 2020

British No 1 Johanna Konta has admitted she may be entering the final phase of her career, after suggesting she may only have two years left at the top.

Konta, who has reached the semi-finals of Wimbledon, the French Open and the Australian Open, turns 30 next May and she told reporters that she is already looking to life after tennis.

“Wow, I am turning 30!” said Konta. “I know it’s a big day. In terms of longevity, I am definitely motivated, inspired and excited to play. I am 100 per cent not looking to stop in the next couple of years.

“However, I am open also to what life throws at you. I am training now into next season, I am looking forward to competing and see myself definitely playing another season after that. Then I am going to listen to my body, listen to my heart and soul, see where I am in my life.

“I would like to have children so obviously that will be a considering factor in how long I play, how I do things. But yeah, let’s look forward to 2021, and then hopefully 2022, and then let’s see where we are.”

Konta suffered a health concern as she suffered palpitations on court earlier this year and she admits it was a frightening moment.

“I have had no episodes since the heart palpitations thing,” she added. “Knocking on wood, it won’t be happening for another few years. It’s one of those things where it is there but it’s nothing to be afraid of.

“What I will be doing is I will be getting a little kind of kit where if it does happen…basically we are looking to get me little device where if it does happen while I am on court I am able to put my fingers on there and it maps out what my heart rate is doing.

“We are looking to get that sorted for me and I can have that with me if I am in a situation where I am on court and it happens – then we can properly see what my heart is doing. That’s all the challenge with these sorts of things. You want to see what your heart is doing in the moment in which it is happening.

“Otherwise, I have had every single test under the sun. My heart is absolutely fine. My health is absolutely fine. There is nothing to worry about that.”

British tennis is likely to have to come to terms with the exit of top women’s play Konta and the legendary Andy Murray over the next couple of years, with the two-time Wimbledon recently admitting he didn’t know how long he would continue to play after hip surgery last year.

Follow us on Twitter @T365Official and like our Facebook page

Johanna Konta