British tennis player Johanna Konta has made history by becoming the first woman from her country to break into the top 10 of the world rankings in 32 years. This incredible feat was achieved after Konta defeated Madison Keys to reach the final of the China Open.

In a thrilling match, Konta, seeded 11th, battled past her American opponent with a scoreline of 7-6 (7/1), 4-6, 6-4 in a match that lasted over two and a half hours. The 25-year-old’s triumph in Beijing guarantees her a spot in the top 10 of the upcoming WTA rankings. She is the first British woman to accomplish this since Jo Durie in 1984.

Jo Durie, who is now 56 years old, took to Twitter to congratulate Konta on her achievement, saying: “Congrats to JoKonta91 a fantastic year & thoroughly deserves the Top Ten ranking. More to come I’m sure.”

During her on-court interview following Saturday’s victory, which was aired on BT Sport, Konta expressed her delight in competing in Beijing for the first time. She stated, “I’m definitely enjoying my time here, it’s my first time playing Beijing and hope to play many more times. It’s a pleasure to play here.”

Reflecting on her performance, Konta shared, “I really just tried to run down as many balls as I could and really just take the chances that I got.” Her determination and skill were evident throughout the match, leading to her historic achievement in the world of tennis.