Konta can win Grand Slams – Barker
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Johanna Konta can win Grand Slam titles but may have to wait for Serena Williams to retire, says former French Open champion Sue Barker.
Konta, the first British woman to play in a Grand Slam semi-final for 33 years, lost 7-5 6-2 to Angelique Kerber at the Australian Open.
Asked if the 24-year-old could win one of tennis’s four Grand Slams, Barker said: “Of course she can.
“But Serena Williams is in a different league to everyone else.”
American Williams has won 21 Grand Slam singles titles – including eight of the past 14 on offer – and will turn 35 in September.
By contrast, Konta, who was ranked 147th in January 2015, was making her first Grand Slam semi-final appearance.
Despite losing to Kerber, she is set to rise from 47th in the world to inside the top 30 and would be seeded at the French Open and Wimbledon should she maintain that ranking through the summer.
Konta made 36 unforced errors to Kerber’s 11 in her straight-set defeat but Barker believes her rivals will be better prepared in the future.
“Konta has got all the shots – her serve is terrific, the forehand is a weapon and more reliable than it was – but now she has the mental attitude,” said BBC Sport presenter Barker.
“You saw that when she served for the match, lost her serve, but came back to beat Ekaterina Makarova 8-6 in the third set to make the quarter-finals.
“The top players are going to take note of her run.
“Their coaches are going to go out and watch her matches, find her weaknesses and where she does not move so well on the court. She has to add more variety to her game to combat that.”