British No.1 Johanna Konta is on the search for a new coach after ending her collaboration with American trainer Michael Joyce.
The 27-year-old appointed Joyce to her team last December after parting ways with Wim Fissette. Joyce is a former player who reached the fourth round of the 1995 Wimbledon Championships. He has previously coached Maria Sharapova and Victoria Azarenka prior to Konta.
“I feel that we are clear on my game, and we’re putting in the work to try to make me the best player that I can be, for sure. Whether the results will come now or in a few months or whether they don’t, I don’t know. But it’s definitely not for a lack of trying.” Konta said about her work with Joyce during the US Open.
Since reaching the final of the Birmingham International in June, Konta has experienced a series of disappointing results on the tour. She has failed to win back-to-back matches at six consecutive tournaments with her latest loss being to Julia Goerges at the China Open. So far this season, Konta has managed to defeat three top 20 players. Jelena Ostapenko (Montreal), Magdalena Rybarikova (Rome and Madrid) and Madison Keys (Brisbane).
As a result of her recent results, the Brit is currently ranked 45th in the world. Should she fall any further, Konta risk ending the season outside of the world’s top 50 for the first time since 2014. Last year she finished at a career-best ninth in the world.
The former world No.4 is set to play one more tournament before she ends her season. Next week she will travel to Moscow to play in the Kremlin Cup. A tournament that is set to feature seven players currently ranked in the top 20. The field will be headed by world No.1 Simona Halep.
Konta is yet to make a formal statement concerning the departure of Joyce from her team.
