Johanna Konta’s run of form has come to an end after withdrawing from the last 16 of the National Bank Open with a knee injury.

The Brit was making her return after being forced to miss both Wimbledon and the Olympics because of COVID-19 related complications.

But the 30-year-old made a strong start in Montreal, beating Zhang Shuai and then rallying from a set down to upset third-seed Elina Svitolina.

It appeared Konta was playing perhaps her finest tennis of the season, yet this setback is another blow in a year where she has been plagued by injuries.

The former world number four retired from the Australian Open in February with an abdominal problem and remained troubled by this injury for most of the clay-court season.

Now, with just two weeks to go until the US Open, her participation in the competition is a doubt.

Konta spoke recently on the High Performance Podcast about her tennis journey and how she became one of the best players in the world.

The former Wimbledon semi-finalist spoke of having a defiant attitude and never wanting to give up, whatever the circumstances.

“I just remember that moment when I was a young girl and why I should never give up, and why I should never just throw in the towel and leave,” she said.

While the Brit has bounced back from many setbacks so far, her career is continuing to be blighted by a series of misfortunes.

Nonetheless, her withdrawal paves the way for US star Coco Gauff, who has advanced to the quarter-finals.

Gauff has been in exceptional form in 2021 –– boasting a record of 34 wins and just 13 defeats this year.

Similarly to Konta, the 17-year-old missed the Olympics after testing positive for COVID-19 but has bounced back well in this tournament so far.

Her last eight opponent is Italy’s Camila Giorgi. The world number 61 reached the quarter-finals in Tokyo recently and has beaten Elise Mertens and Petra Kvitová en route to this stage.