Johanna Konta believes she has the game to prosper on the clay of Paris

Johanna Konta insists she is comfortable playing on clay – despite a thin résumé in five visits to Roland Garros. It says much for her self-belief.

“This is only my third French Open main draw by ranking,” she said, “so I think it would be a little bit unfair to say completely that my record is terrible. I would like to give it a few more years.”

She has a chance to prove doubters wrong against the demonstrative Kazak battler Yulia Putintseva with whom she wiped the clay of Rome the last time they met, a year ago. However, losing to the delightfully artistic doubles specialist Hsieh Su-wei here last year after winning the first set 6-1, was the upset of the opening round. And the year before, she went out at the first time of asking against Julia Goerges, who was ranked 57 in the world but had struck form.

“I’ve only qualified for two slams and one of them was here, so I have experienced success in Paris. The one last year was an incredibly tough one against Su-wei – and we’ve all seen since then how well she can play.

“Before that was against Julia Goerges, who plays incredibly well on this surface and made the final in Nuremburg the week before. So there needs to be respect given to the players that I played and the level that they produced.

“But, as for how I feel on the surface, every year that I come here I look forward to it because I know I can play well on the clay. Before I started playing more on the WTA tour I actually won most of my Challengers on the clay, especially at the very beginning. I’d like to give myself a little more time.”

That confidence might come under pressure in her first match.

“You’ll need to ask her why she does it,” Konta said of Putintseva’s ability to light up a court with her language as well as her racket. “In my experience, most players act the way they do in their own self-interest, in getting their emotions out and basically working with their own demons on court. She will deal with the match the way she feels she needs to deal with it to win, and I will deal with the match the way that I feel I need to deal with it to win.”

Konta’s penchant to see all sides of a debate should qualify her to negotiate a way out of Brexit, and she was similarly diplomatic when asked what she thought about the tournament not seeding Serena Williams on her return to slams after winning the 2017 Australian Open, and now the proud mother of Alexis Olympia.

Although not a great one for analysing the draw (she didn’t even know it had been made on Thursday evening), Konta appeared pleased when told she was not in the American’s section – and that Williams was vying in the first week with Garbiñe Muguruza, Svetlana Kuznetsova and Maria Sharapova in a quality charge at the semis.

Williams starts against Krystina Pliskova and looks on course for a fourth-round meeting with Sharapova – who surprised a few people in Rome last week when she supported a review of the WTA rules to seedings and long absences.

“Wow, it’s a very strong quarter,” Konta said. “There are no easy matches any more, regardless of who you play. We’ve had plenty of proof through the last number of years that there are going to be upsets, there are going to be new breakthroughs, there are going to be oohs and aahs and all that. Whatever match you play, whatever quarter you’re in, you’ve got your work cut out for you.”

Konta, still with her diplomat’s hat on, refused to be drawn on the topic of the week: whether or not Williams should be seeded here, after a long absence from the Tour.

“It’s important to remember that there were mothers previously, such as Kim Clijsters, who came back and who weren’t seeded. It’s an ongoing conversation. I think it’s important to find a good balance of rewarding the current players who have earned their right to be a seed and also supporting returning mothers.”

And what would that good balance be? Smiling, she replied, “It’s a good question. Honestly, I don’t quite know. I think seeding is on a player’s current form.

“It would also be unfair of a player who is coming back being put into that position as well, as well as the players who are currently playing but you are taking that away if they’ve earned it.”

Konta, ranked 22 in the world after a long spell in the top 10, needs a good run in this tournament and is confident she can finally do it.

“This year, preparation-wise, I’ve had some really great matches on the clay. I feel like I’m playing to my level in general, regardless of surface. I’m playing better and better. So I’m hoping to continue that here.

“I back myself in every way to be able to go deep into the tournament, go on to the end – but it starts with the first round.”