Johanna Konta grew to become the primary British girl to interrupt into the world’s high 10 in 32 years after beating Madison Keys on today in 2016 to achieve the ultimate of the China Open.
Konta, then 25, beat American world quantity 9 Madison Keys 7-6 (1) 4-6 6-4 within the final 4 and was the primary British participant since Jo Durie in 1984 to enter the WTA’s high 10.
Regardless of shedding to Poland’s Agnieszka Radwanska within the remaining in Beijing, Konta ended the 12 months as quantity 10 within the rankings.
Konta’s fast rise coincided together with her determination to staff up with coach Esteban Carril in northern Spain 17 months earlier, when she was ranked 146th on the planet.
She had reached the fourth spherical of the US Open to finish 2015 inside the highest 50 and earlier in 2016 reached the Australian Open semi-finals and gained her first WTA title at Stanford.
Konta’s victory over Keys on the China Open was her seventh over a top-10 participant in 2016.
She gained her second WTA title in Sydney in early 2017, reached the quarter-finals on the Australian Open and triumphed on the Miami Open by beating former world primary Caroline Wozniacki within the remaining.
That success noticed Konta rise to world quantity seven and he or she climbed to a career-high place of fourth in 2017 after turning into the primary British girl to achieve the Wimbledon singles semi-finals since Virginia Wade in 1978.
Konta misplaced to Venus Williams within the final 4 and after harm setbacks and lack of type in 2018, reached the French Open semi-finals and the US Open quarter-finals in 2019.
After additional struggles with type and health – she was dogged by a proper knee harm – Konta introduced her retirement in December 2021.
