Johanna Konta has described her ‘heartbreaking’ experience with COVID-19 ahead of her second round clash with Elina Svitolina in Montreal.
The Brit was forced to miss her home grand slam at Wimbledon and the Olympic Games in Tokyo after contracting COVID-19.
Montreal is Konta’s first tournament since having COVID-19 with the Brit having symptoms of the virus.
Speaking to the Associated Press in Canada Konta recalled her experience with the virus, “Definitely the worst illness I’ve experienced for a very long time,” she admitted.
“It was very heartbreaking and it was very difficult. There was nothing good and nothing fun about having Covid and having to miss Wimbledon and the Olympics.
“We took it very, very slowly. Then I got my full check, in terms of my heart, my lungs, everything, and everything came back all okay. Then we started doing a little more and here we are.”
The world number 41 will look to build on her form in the pre-Wimbledon grass swing where she won the title in Nottingham.
After benefiting from a first round retirement from Shuai Zhang, Konta will now face good friend Elina Svitolina in the second round.
Svitolina leads the head-to-head 5-0 with the Ukrainian winning their last meeting in Montreal 6-3 6-4 in 2018.
