JO KONTA faces a fitness battle to be ready for the Australian Open.

And Britain’s No 1 admits the long-standing tendinitis problem in her knee will need careful managing in 2020.

This has been the most consistent year of Konta’s career, with a semi-final showing at the French Open and Wimbledon and US Open quarter-finals.

Yet few outside her team knew she was suffering painful inflammation in her knee when making an impact at the Slams.

Konta, 28, will fly to the Brisbane International on December 30, then to Melbourne for the Aussie Open, which starts on January 20.

Yet the world No 12, who has not played since the US Open in September, will listen to her body Down Under.

Konta said: “I’ve carried a knee injury since the first week of the year in Brisbane.

“It was basically a case of managing it through the year.

“Once we got to the grass, it got worse and worse and then, at the US Open, it felt significantly worse.

“It’s definitely on the way up, but it’s still going to take some managing — even into next season. The main thing is for me to get to a stage where I can function at the highest level.

“There’s no doubt I want to be on that plane but I’m not giving myself deadlines.

“I can only listen to my body with this injury.”

ANDY MURRAY ended the year with silverware — after being voted Comeback Player of the Year.

The former world No 1 was given the accolade at the ATP Awards for battling back from a hip problem which looked set to end his career.

In July, Muzza, 32, won the Queen’s doubles with Fernando Verdasco, then in October beat Stan Wawrinka to lift the European Open in Antwerp.

The Scot hopes to recover from a groin injury to play for Great Britain in the ATP Cup, starting on January 3.

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