Konta returned in Montreal three weeks ago and pulled off an immediate coup, defeating Elina Svitolina – the world No 5 and Olympic bronze medalist – for the first time. But she was unable to come back the following day, handing a walkover to her theoretical opponent Coco Gauff.
"I don't think I was particularly ready to go to Montreal and I got the most of what I could out of being there and playing again," said Konta at the weekend.
"Then in Cincinnati I had a tough match with Karolina [Muchova, who won their first-round match in three gruelling sets]. It pushed my physical limitations quite a lot because it was very hot. This whole trip, since Covid, was to build me up to be ready for here and we've done the best we can."
Konta now faces world No 57 Kristina Mladenovic on Monday in the first round of the US Open. A defeat would bump her out of the world’s top 50 for the first time since she made her breakthrough at this event in 2015, coming through qualifying to reach the fourth round.
Perhaps we are turning over a new page of sporting history. Last week, three younger British women fought their way through the demolition derby that is the US Open’s qualifying event. Harriet Dart, Katie Boulter and Emma Raducanu all joined the more established grand-slam performers – Konta and Heather Watson – to make it six Brits in the women’s draw here for the first time since 1987.
Konta has presided over this side of the game for so long that we take her primacy for granted, but change is now afoot. The 18-year-old Raducanu, in particular, looks like she will climb the ladder at speed.
Whereas Konta is in something of a slump, having won just a single match – against Watson, as it happens – at her last five majors. This would be a good time to end the drought.
Norrie and Evans' battle for British bragging rights continues in New York
By Simon Briggs
Some corner of a foreign field will be dedicated to British tennis on Monday. Court 10 at the Billie Jean King Tennis Centre is to host all four of our top 100 players, one after the other, thus becoming the stage for an intriguing turf war between Dan Evans and Cameron Norrie.
To clarify, these two are not playing each other. But they do stand so close in the rankings – with Evans at No 27 and Norrie at No 29 – that we could soon be looking at a new British No 1, especially as Norrie is in the form of his life.
Does it matter? Norrie shrugged off the topic this weekend, saying “I’m not really worried about it at all. I want to push closer to world No 1. It would be nice – but that [climbing the overall rankings] is my goal, so I’m going for that one.”
The title of British No 1 just isn’t something that players like to talk about. For one thing, it sounds a bit small-time.
For another, everyone knows that Andy Murray – whose match against Stefanos Tsitsipas has been allocated the headline slot on Arthur Ashe Stadium from midnight BST – will remain the most eminent Briton on the circuit for as long as he chooses to keep playing.
Even so, being the best in Britain can come in handy for the odd sponsorship deal – not to mention the taglines that will appear under your name once you retire and take up a role as a commentator or pundit. Whatever players may say, it is not to be sniffed at.
Norrie has all the momentum with him, having won his maiden ATP title in Los Cabos, Mexico, just over a month ago. He is also the only one of Britain’s leading players who has avoided contracting Covid – a significant advantage for a man who likes to wear opponents down with sheer lung-bursting effort.
A laid-back character who grew up in New Zealand, Norrie arrived in New York with a newly shaved head rather than his usual floppy locks. "It’s been very hot out here," he said, when asked about his military appearance. "It’s very little maintenance in the morning – shower, and then out the door quick."