Suggest to Garbiñe Muguruza that she arrives at Wimbledon garlanded as the heir apparent to Serena Williams and the Spaniard’s face, normally so vibrant, takes on a sullen mien.
“How does it feel to be here as a reigning grand slam champion?” the Spaniard with steel in her arms and legs was asked on Saturday, not unreasonably. Muguruza, seeded second and preparing to begin her campaign on Tuesday against the Italian Camila Giorgi, replied: “The same. Nothing has changed for me to look at Wimbledon differently. I’m thinking [it’s] weird to be back here because of last year, not because of a grand slam just two weeks ago [at Roland Garros against Williams]. I feel quite calm, like I did in Paris.”
It is either curiously self-deprecatory – and peculiar to tennis – or, more probably, an example of modern sports psychology: keeping the lid on those dark demons that might spring from nowhere to rattle a smash or deliver trembles on match point.
Muguruza lost to Williams in the final last year and, whatever she tells herself, has a wonderful chance to add Wimbledon to the French Open title – and then build on that for the rest of the season. “It’s so quick and a lot of things [have] happened in between,’ she said. “I can’t believe it.”
She correctly pointed out that adjusting to grass from clay is difficult, especially given her background on the red dirt. “It’s very hard, one of the most difficult switches of surface. I finished very late at the French Open [and then played a grasscourt tournament in Mallorca]. I was so happy after the French Open that the next tournament was in Spain, even though it was really fast. I felt so good. The crowd was there a lot with me.”
A lot of them will be with her here, too. Her on-court demeanour is so at odds with the ice-cold attitude of some of her contemporaries that she cannot fail to become a Wimbledon favourite.
Johanna Konta also does a good job of keeping her emotions in check – or appearing to do so, which might be the same thing. The British No1, seeded 16th at Wimbledon and handed a devilishly tricky opening round on Monday against the in-form Monica Puig, is still a little starry-eyed sharing a locker room with the main contenders.
“I’ve gotten my locker,” she said in disconcerting Americanese. “It’s nice and quiet. That’s the biggest difference as of now. I’m sure it can get busy, as well, but downstairs is a lot busier as there’s a lot more players around. The showers are the same size. The towels look the same.”
The fast life at Wimbledon is something she tries to take in her stride, but the pressure is building, and Konta, who takes advice from a sports psychologist, is doing her best to bat away anything she perceives as negativity. She dismissed her awkward fall at Eastbourne on Friday. “I’m absolutely fine,” she said. “It was more the shock of the tumble than the actual tumble.”
Nor is she concerned about the Zika virus at the forthcoming Rio Olympics and says she has not had a moment’s doubt about going. “We’ve got some of the best people working on it. I have full trust in them.” She should give Rory McIlroy a call.
Konta is one of six British players in the women’s draw – and obviously has the best pedigree and form. There will still be a lot of interest, however, in the return of Laura Robson, on her long and winding journey back from injury. It could be a short stay; she plays the Australian Open champion, Angelique Kerber, in the first round – on Muguruza’s side of the draw. “It’s tough to play against a Great Britain girl,” she said. “But I’m looking forward to it. I played against her a long time ago, also here – I think first round, 2011. It’s always good to have a tough first round.”
Robson won that match, incidentally, 4-6, 7-6 (7-4), 6-3, before losing to Maria Sharapova in the next round. As Kerber pointed out: “It’s too far away, too many years.”
A lot has happened to all three of them in the past five years.
