Johanna Konta’s dream of being in the Wimbledon final ended on Thursday after the 26-year-old tennis star was defeated by five-times American champion Venus Williams in a straight-set semi-final. Venus, 37, who triumphed 6-4 6-2, will now play against Spain’s Garbine Muguruza.
After her win, Venus praised Johanna on her technique during the game. Speaking to the BBC, she said: "I thought the crowd was very nice to me actually. They could have been more boisterous but I thought the crowd was so fair. I know they love Jo.
"There's a lot of pressure and I thought she handled it well. I think my experience just helped a lot.
"She played so well. No point was easy. I just tried to climb on top each time to get another point, and then - wow - it was done so I was just so happy."
Johanna Konta and Venus Williams played against each other in the 2017 semi-final
Johanna will now break into the top five in the world in the next rankings, having made history on Tuesday evening after becoming the first British female to reach the semi-final in Wimbledon since 1978. The talented tennis player beat Simona Halep in a thrilling match, seeing her win 6-7 (2-7) 7-6 (7-5) 6-4. The star-studded crowd at the game included Virgina Wade, the last British woman to reach the semi-final, along with celebrities including Fiona Bruce, Ellie Goulding and Darcey Busell.
Johanna made history after becoming the first British woman since 1978 to reach the semi-final
Last year, Johanna opened up to HELLO! about her family life, crediting her parents, Gabor, a hotel manager, and Gabriella, a dentist, with helping her to stay grounded during her all-important tournaments. "By keeping things as normal as possible, they keep me calm," she said. "At the end of the day, I have to remember that tennis is just a sport – I'm not trying to cure cancer - and all I can do is my best."
