“Don’t patronise me”: Tennis star blows up at reporter after Wimbledon exit
Johanna Konta has shut down a journalist for “picking” on her after she found his line of questioning to be offensive.
After losing to Barbora Strycova in the Wimbledon quarter-finals 7-6 6-1 on Centre Court, the last remaining hope for the British player in the singles draw claimed that her opponent was simply better than her, but that answer didn’t satisfy everyone.
Discussing the game, the 28-year-old said she wouldn’t do anything differently if she was given the chance to play again, but things started heating up once she was asked whether she needs to accept flaws in her own game.
Clearly taken aback, Konta interjected when the reporter kept pushing the same question.
Reporter: Looking at numbers, 33 unforced errors, then you had a smash at the net which you hit straight to her, then towards the end of the third set you had a double-fault, then missed a drive volley. Do you not have to look at yourself a little bit about how you cope with these big points? It’s all very well saying it’s a lot to do with your opponent, but there were key points when you perhaps could have done better.
Johanna Konta: Is that in your professional tennis opinion?
Reporter: No, that’s just as a watching spectator with everyone else on Centre Court willing you on. And the numbers are IBM’s.
Konta: OK. I mean, I don’t think you need to pick on me in a harsh way. I mean, I think I’m very open with you guys. I say how I feel out there. If you don’t want to accept that answer or you don’t agree with it, that’s fine. I still believe in the tennis that I play. I still believe in the way I competed. Yeah, I don’t have much else to say to your question.
Reporter: I’m just asking you as somebody who presumably wants to go on from here, learn from this, win a grand slam one day. Is it not something …
Konta: Please don’t patronise me.
Reporter: I’m not patronising you.
Konta: No, no, you are. In the way you’re asking your question, you’re being quite disrespectful and you’re patronising me. I’m a professional competitor who did her best today, and that’s all there is to that.
The moderator was then forced to interfere, as the tennis star moved onto the next question.