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Former world No. 4 Johanna Konta acknowledged her decision to retire didn't come overnight as it was something that was on her mind for a long time. Konta, 30, announced she was retiring on Wednesday. Last week, British media reported that Konta could skip the Australian Open and that retirement could be looming.
"This has not been a decision that has been made in the last half an hour and it's not something even that's been made in the last two months. This is something that took some time to get to. I wanted to give it time to see if this is actually what I want to do or if it's just a tough period.
There are so many times in your career where you could very easily be like, Nope, not having any of this anymore [laughs]," Konta told WTA Insider.
Konta gave it a good thought
"I wanted to sit with my feelings and emotions and give myself time in coming to the decision.
That process has also given me some peace with it because by no means does my retiring mean that I don't like the sport anymore or that I can't see myself play anymore. Even sitting here, I miss playing. I miss that life because it's the only life I've known since I have memory.
So it's interesting detangling yourself from something that you've just been attached to for so long," Konta added. Konta now enters the next chapter of her life as she will have to find herself in other things. "So I am literally in a situation where I have to reinvent myself or re-find myself in the world, in life, in my life, with purpose and interests and ability.
It's a very daunting and scary thing, but it just feels right. Because when I think, OK, I'm going to get back out there, even when I miss it and think to start again, I'm like ... no," Konta admitted.
