A day in the life of Johanna Konta, Britain's top female tennis player
Johanna, 27, is Britain’s top female tennis player and will be competing at Wimbledon next week. She lives in London with her boyfriend, Jackson Wade. Here, she talks us through her gruelling schedule
I usually wake up at 6am. When at home, I love to cook, so I make my own breakfast, which is something like scrambled eggs with vegetables. Then I fit in some court time, between two and four hours a day, and I have lunch at 12.30 – a mix of protein, carbs and veggies.
I started playing tennis when I was five and was lucky with the way I was brought up. My mum would always make me fresh fruit salad and I was the kid who would sit eating a tin of tuna or celery sticks. I have my parents to thank for raising me with good habits and these have followed me through my life – even after I discovered Nutella and gummy bears.
You’ll reach a point where you feel tired, but you have to keep pushing and tolerating that uncomfortable feeling
As well as court time, I spend about two hours at the gym each day. I get on the treadmill to do my interval training (30 seconds on, then 30 seconds off) to raise my heart rate. What’s good about these sessions is they challenge you physically, but also mentally.
You reach a point where you feel tired, but you have to keep pushing and tolerating that uncomfortable feeling.
After the treadmill I shower and apply my skincare. I make sure to moisturise, and the body washes and creams I use are as natural as possible. I need to hydrate and cleanse my skin well because of all the sun exposure that I get. I eat dinner at 7pm and catch up on some TV. Currently I’m watching season two of The Handmaid’s Tale.
I do my best to get a good night’s sleep, between nine and 10 hours. To relax I’ll put away my phone, organise my clothes for the next day and read a book. I love to read, anything from teenage fiction and beyond. That’s how I chill out.
Johanna’s tips for creating good habits:
Try to get a good night’s sleep. It does a world of good in all areas of life, not just in sport.
Wear sunscreen. I’m always in the sun and it’s important to protect your skin from damage.
Most of the time, look to eat the kind of food that will fuel you well.
Be as organised as you can. Packing my bags for the next day means I can relax.
Everything is OK in moderation. Pizza and ice cream are my simple pleasures.
Johanna's must haves:
I rely on... My Babolat Pure Aero tennis racquet. I can’t live without it. ￡139.99 (decathlon.co.uk)
My go-to box set is... Sex and the City. My partner is really into it – it’s hilarious. ￡14.99 (amazon.co.uk)
My current scent is… Portrait of a Lady by Frédéric Malle. ￡158 for 50ml edp (libertylondon.com)
I absolutely love… Gel Resolution 7 tennis shoes. They’re light but have stability. ￡114.99, Asics (sportsshoes.com)
I swear by… Acure day cream. I love the soothing organic camomile scent. ￡13.66 (acureorganics.com)
My icon is... Jennifer Lawrence. She’s incredibly real and a great role model.
Johanna Konta features in the WTA’s Women That Achieve campaign, celebrating the achievements of female tennis stars over the past 45 years. Register your interest at facebook.com/WTA
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More from Stella Magazine 26 May 2018