ROSAMUND wrote:

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Re Jo and the media, after the Wimbledon quarter final press conference last year    I did contact a journalist from Tennis Threads. His view was that in general Jo had been well supported by the media over the years. ...

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Kevin Mitchell writing in The Guardian (29/09/2020):

...    I dont think any player, including myself, will sit here after an earlyround loss and be pleased with the result, Konta said. I would like to do better, but Im not exactly going to hate myself.

Nobody wants to inflict loathing on them, which seems to be their perception when the British media is characterised as on the rampage and looking for headline fodder, but acceptance another Konta buzzword provides comfort when a professional athlete needs to embrace constructive regret over mistakes. Losing should hurt. Sometimes these players are too quick to move on, and the danger is that a pattern emerges: acceptance reinforced by failure, followed by more acceptance.   ...

...  As that long time Irish Parisian, Samuel Beckett, reminds anyone who takes a close look at Stan Wawrinkas strong [ TTMAN: What!!! ]right arm: Fail better. It certainly beats: Go home and see the dogs. [TTMAN: Bitchy?! ]   ...

Full article at

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2020/sep/29/alarm-british-tennis-watson-loses-ferro-french-open-first-round

Is this an accurate impression of Jo's attitude or is not just shades of his journalistic "mate" Matthew Dunn at the Daily Express?

Does he really believe that Jo wasn't hurting and does he not understand the psychological value of remaining positive in the face of defeat. WE know how hard Jo works, her issues with recovery from injury and what she achieved in 2016, 2017 and 2019 but does he and his readers?

This article is just plain condescending and possibly even sexist. 

ROSAMUND wrote:

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TTMan wrote:

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Thomas Hogstedt started with Ostapenko about a week ago I gather. JO seems to have rediscovered her mojo!

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 Is this a reference to Jelena Ostapenko rather than Johanna Konta?

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 Although confusing, I would imagine given the context of the comment it's Ostapenko and not Konta. Esp as JoKo is out and Ostapenko has reached the 3rd round...for the first time since she won the title a few years ago.

JonH comes home wrote:

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flamingowings wrote:

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ROSAMUND wrote:

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TTMan wrote:

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Thomas Hogstedt started with Ostapenko about a week ago I gather. JO seems to have rediscovered her mojo!

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 Is this a reference to Jelena Ostapenko rather than Johanna Konta?

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 Although confusing, I would imagine given the context of the comment it's Ostapenko and not Konta. Esp as JoKo is out and Ostapenko has reached the 3rd round...for the first time since she won the title a few years ago.

-- Edited by flamingowings on Thursday 1st of October 2020 04:21:16 PM

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 But possibly a comment tinged with irony 

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 Irony was certainly the trigger but it also leads us to speculate on what might have happened behind the scenes, as the switch happened very quickly after Jo announced the break.

Also, how successful TH's relationship might be with Ostapenko compared to Jo?  I would guess Ostapenko is less inclined to be an independent thinker?

In any case, I doubt if Hogstedt would have had enough time to affect Ostapenko's game. I don't follow J.O. much but she does seem to have gained maturity during the hiatus.

JonH comes home wrote:

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Weve gone 4 hours without a jo Konta related discussion so just thought I'd drop a post in here to keep things going....

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 Apart from the forum being quiet for 4 hours Jo herself has also been quiet on social media. She has made her last post before she played in Paris. I think we should nominate a Jo free day once a week.!

ROSAMUND wrote:

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I see Chris Evert was giving her views on Jo's early exit from Paris. She was puzzled by her early exit. She reckons a new coach might not make much difference but Jo needs a period of introspection to rediscover what she was doing  well when she was at the  top of her game. It was constructive comments. 

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 When Jo fails, particularly against lower ranked players, it's most often because she hits too many UE's, especially on key points. Her winners and serves are just not hitting the target. The imponderable is why and what to do about it. 

Evert, Navratilova, Petchey, amongst others, have all put in their genuinely well meaning 2 pennies worth. It's a really good sign they believe Jo has the potential and is worthy of their attention. Whatever the solution is, she seemed to find it under Zavialoff and Carril, and (or) sports psychologists Cato and Beltrame.  Jo has been particularly unlucky to have lost Zavialoff and Cato for external reasons. Personally, I think Fissette got the credit mostly for the work done by Carril and Cato. 

I'm not sure I follow Evert's thinking that Jo doesn't need a coach. She just needs the right one.

Sorry to bore everyone but this is why I wish the (sports) media would do their job properly, treat Jo seriously and help us to understand Jo's issues better. A kinder press might help Jo open up more, as she did in her Oxford Union address.