Konta splits with Spanish coach

[December 01, 2016]    LONDON (Reuters) - Johanna Konta has split with the Spanish coach who helped her become the first British woman in 32 years to be ranked in the world's top 10 tennis players, British media reported on Thursday.

Johanna Konta of Great Britain hits to Tsvetana Pironkova of Bulgaria on day three of the 2016 U.S. Open tennis tournament at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports / Reuters

"I am no longer working with Johanna but I want to give Johanna the opportunity to speak about it rather than me," coach Esteban Carril told the Daily Mail.

There was no immediate comment from the 25-year-old Australian-born player.

The BBC said the British number one, who was ranked 147 in June last year but reached the semi-finals of the Australian Open in January and won her first WTA Tour title at Stanford in July, was now training at the National Tennis Centre in Roehampton.

She secured a place in the top 10 in October -- the first British woman to rise so high in the rankings since Jo Durie in 1984 -- when she reached the China Open final and was voted the WTA's most improved player of 2016.

(Reporting by Alan Baldwin, editing by Toby Davis)

[© 2016 Thomson Reuters. All rights reserved.]

Copyright 2016 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.