Kontaveit opens up on after effects of COVID-19 after Wimbledon exit: "I probably should have given myself more time to recover"

Thursday, 30 June 2022 at 22:30

Anett Kontaveit was dumped out in emphatic fashion at Wimbledon by Jule Niemeier who was defeated 6-4, 6-0 but while the No.2 seed has had form woes as of late, it could be down to after effects of COVID-19.

Kontaveit admitted that it has been tough physically as per Matt Roberts of The Tennis Podcast and that it's only been recently that she has been able to practice fully but that she wasn't in peak physical shape for Wimbledon with long COVID not ruled out.

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"Well, I had it two months ago, I think, or something like that. Then I tried to come back very quickly. I started training. It was low intensity, but I was still training every day. I think that was what I did wrong. Just thinking back at it, I probably should have given myself more time to recover," Kontaveit said, per The Tennis Podcast.

"Then I tried to play Rome. I mean, it was very difficult physically. I remember it was very, very tough. Also, at the French Open, I really struggled. I had like really big energy dips, and I was tired all the time. It was tough to wake up. I slept a lot all the time."

"Then after the French Open, I tried to start training more, and it just got worse. I started feeling more and more tired. Then I decided to take a complete break for a couple of weeks, I think, and I felt like my energy was starting to come back. And, yeah, I started easier, started just with the gym, and then it was only, I don't know, 10 days until Wimbledon," she added.

"I was thinking I wasn't going to come if I didn't think I could play a match or finish a match. I actually started feeling better in practice. I added tennis. Already felt pretty good. But still I had a week to play tennis before a Grand Slam, so of course I'm not in the physical shape that I would like to be in."

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Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of TennisUpToDate.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces across the TennisUpToDate network, playing a central role in the daily operation and development of the site.

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