England players Mason Mount and Ben Chilwell have been forced to self-isolate after coming into close contact with Billy Gilmour – the Scotland midfielder who tested positive for coronavirus.
Gilmour was named man of the match in Scotland's 0-0 Euro 2020 Group D draw at Wembley on Friday but it was confirmed on Monday he would have to isolate for 10 days, forcing him out of Tuesday's crunch clash with Croatia at Hampden Park.
England also conclude their group campaign with a match against the Czech Republic at Wembley, although manager Gareth Southgate has now had his plans disrupted after Mount and Chilwell interacted with their Chelsea team-mate.
"We don't know at the moment," Southgate said when asked at a pre-match news conference whether the pair would be available to play.
"There's got to be quite a doubt but there's still a lot of discussions and investigations going on behind the scenes,
"At the moment they are isolating, we just have to find out over the next 12 hours or so."
The duo returned negative lateral flow tests on Monday and trained with their international colleagues but, on the advice of Public Health England, they will now be kept away from the rest of Southgate's squad and backroom staff until further advice is received.
"As a precaution at this time and in consultation with Public Health England, Ben Chilwell and Mason Mount are isolating after interaction with Scotland player Billy Gilmour at Friday's match," a statement published on England's official Twitter account read.
"The pair will be kept away from the rest of the England players and wider support team, pending further discussions with Public Health England.
"The entire squad had lateral flow tests on Monday afternoon and all were again negative, as was the case with Sunday's UEFA pre-match PCR tests.
"We will continue to follow all COVID-19 protocols and the UEFA testing regime, while remaining in close contact with Public Health England."
In the event of a 10-day isolation period, beginning from their contact with Gilmour, Mount and Chilwell would be ruled out of facing the Czech Republic – who are level on four points with England at the top of the group – but would be available to return for a potential last-16 encounter on Monday or Tuesday of next week, providing they do not return a positive COVID-19 test in the interim period.
Left-back Chilwell is yet to feature for England at Euro 2020 and did not make the matchday squad for their opening 1-0 win over Croatia.
Mount, who had been due to take part in the news conference alongside his boss, has been an integral part of Southgate's side for some time, however, starting both Three Lions' matches at the tournament so far.
England's performance in the draw with Scotland was heavily criticised and if Mount has to sit out against the Czechs, it would only further increase the clamour for Aston Villa's Jack Grealish to be handed a starting berth.
Memphis Depay and Georginio Wijnaldum were in fine form as they inspired an easy 3-0 win for the Netherlands over North Macedonia on Monday, as the Oranje scored two goals in 10 successive games for the first time ever.
Frank de Boer's men were already confirmed as Group C winners and their opponents' Euro 2020 campaign was over regardless of the result in Amsterdam, and although North Macedonia put up a spirited fight, the Dutch outclassed them in the end.
A thrilling first half saw the Netherlands under pressure in spells, with Ivan Trickovski having a goal disallowed and Aleksandar Trajkovski hitting the upright, though the Oranje looked sharp going forward and went ahead through Depay.
The new Barcelona signing then teed up Wijnaldum to make it 2-0 and also played a major role in the latter's second of the day, as the Netherlands won all three group stage games at a European Championship for only the third time.
An agonisingly tight offside call that was verified by VAR denied Trickovski an early opener as he went fractionally early to reach a flick from Goran Pandev, making his final international appearance.
Pandev's ingenuity wreaked havoc again in the 22nd minute, a clever lay-off teeing up Trajkovski whose 20-yard effort crashed off the post.
But two minutes later it was 1-0 to the Oranje, Donyell Malen squaring to Depay for an easy finish at the end of a rapid breakaway that started with Pandev being clattered by Daley Blind.
The Netherlands' dominance resumed after the interval, as Depay passed across the face of goal for Wijnaldum to tap home.
The Paris Saint-Germain midfielder then got his second on the rebound after Depay had been denied at the end of an incisive move, before substitute Wout Weghorst hammered against the crossbar.
Pandev was withdrawn with the game beyond North Macedonia in the 69th minute, his team-mates giving him a guard of honour as he trudged off into international retirement, and their final chance for celebration was taken away as Darko Churlinov's well-taken goal was wiped out for offside.
What does it mean? The Netherlands show their class but doubts remain
There have been times in Euro 2020 – including in this match – when the Netherlands have arguably played the best football on display. For all of the pre-tournament sneering at De Boer, his men have, largely, dealt well with their group phase.
But it still feels a little early to have a comprehensive idea of just how far they will go. After all, most would have expected them to comfortably beat North Macedonia, and they did have a brief wobble against Ukraine.
There is a real possibility that they could get one of France, Germany or Portugal in the next round. Either way, the Dutch will entertain whoever they face.
What's next?
As Group C winners, Netherlands will next play a third-placed team from either Group D, E or F in the last 16. North Macedonia's tournament is over and are not in action again until September when World Cup qualification resumes.
As they aspire to achieve loftier goals at sports’ ultimate event, the nation’s latest qualifiers for the Olympic Games and sporting associations they represent, have expressed gratitude to the Jamaica Olympic Association (JOA) for the assistance afforded in attaining their Tokyo goal.
England will look to dispel doubts around their attacking power when they face the Czech Republic in their final Euro 2020 Group D game on Tuesday.
The 0-0 draw with Scotland at Wembley was the Three Lions' 17th at the Euros and World Cup combined, the most of any nation, while it was just the fourth goalless game out of 115 meetings between the sides.
England managed only one shot on target throughout the match, recording a value of just 1.45 expected goals throughout, their lowest such figure in a European Championship fixture since they drew 1-1 with Russia at Euro 2016 (xG of 0.79).
While four points from two games has both England and the Czech Republic in a strong position to qualify for the last 16 – a draw would secure a top-two finish for both – the scrutiny of the form of Gareth Southgate's side, particularly forwards such as Harry Kane, means they are under huge pressure to perform at Wembley Stadium.
Southgate would surely wish for a positive display as he reaches 57 games in charge of his country, a tally that equals the number of caps he won as a player, as debate rages over whether he should embrace a bolder approach and hand starts to Jack Grealish or Jadon Sancho.
Regardless, Manchester City's Phil Foden says there is no reason to doubt Southgate's credentials as he looks to steer England into the knockouts.
"He's a great coach and working with him every day I get to see what he's like," Foden told talkSPORT. "He always has the players' backs and I believe that his tactics are great.
"All these negative people don't know what they're talking about because Gareth's a great coach. Everyone trains very well every day and, whatever team he selects, we're going to trust and back.
"Everyone plays differently, that's the depth we have in the squad. Everyone has different qualities."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
England – Harry Kane
Kane has scored in each of his previous two games against the Czech Republic. Both of those came from penalties but, right now, the Tottenham star would settle for a spot-kick.
Kane has only scored two goals in his past 11 appearances for the Three Lions, after scoring 13 times in his previous 11. He is a man in need of a boost.
Czech Republic – Tomas Soucek
One way Jaroslav Silhavy's side can keep Kane quiet is through blocking the supply lines and limiting the space in which he thrives. Over to you, Tomas Soucek.
In the draw with Croatia, the West Ham man contested five aerial duels, made three clearances and completed 51 passes, the most of anyone on the pitch. His efficiency in winning back and distributing the ball makes him a key cog in the Czech team.
KEY OPTA FACTS
- The Czech Republic and England were in the same qualifying group for Euro 2020 – England won 5-0 at Wembley and the Czech Republic prevailed 2-1 in Prague. They are facing each other in a major tournament for the first time.
- The four previous meetings between the Czech Republic and England produced 14 goals, an average of 3.5 per game.
- England are looking to keep clean sheets in every group stage match at a major tournament for only the third time, also doing so at the 1966 World Cup (three matches) and in the second group stage of the 1982 World Cup (two matches).
- Patrik Schick has scored in each of his first two Euros appearances for the Czech Republic, netting three goals. Since his international debut in May 2016, Schick has scored 14 goals in 28 appearances for his national team, more than any other Czech player.
- Raheem Sterling's only hat-trick with the England national team was against the Czech Republic, in the European Championship qualifier at Wembley in March 2019 (5-0).
England will look to dispel doubts around their attacking power when they face the Czech Republic in their final Euro 2020 Group D game on Tuesday.
The 0-0 draw with Scotland at Wembley was the Three Lions' 17th at the Euros and World Cup combined, the most of any nation, while it was just the fourth goalless game out of 115 meetings between the sides.
England managed only one shot on target throughout the match, recording a value of just 1.45 expected goals throughout, their lowest such figure in a European Championship fixture since they drew 1-1 with Russia at Euro 2016 (xG of 0.79).
While four points from two games has both England and the Czech Republic in a strong position to qualify for the last 16 – a draw would secure a top-two finish for both – the scrutiny of the form of Gareth Southgate's side, particularly forwards such as Harry Kane, means they are under huge pressure to perform at Wembley Stadium.
Southgate would surely wish for a positive display as he reaches 57 games in charge of his country, a tally that equals the number of caps he won as a player, as debate rages over whether he should embrace a bolder approach and hand starts to Jack Grealish or Jadon Sancho.
Regardless, Manchester City's Phil Foden says there is no reason to doubt Southgate's credentials as he looks to steer England into the knockouts.
"He's a great coach and working with him every day I get to see what he's like," Foden told talkSPORT. "He always has the players' backs and I believe that his tactics are great.
"All these negative people don't know what they're talking about because Gareth's a great coach. Everyone trains very well every day and, whatever team he selects, we're going to trust and back.
"Everyone plays differently, that's the depth we have in the squad. Everyone has different qualities."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
England – Harry Kane
Kane has scored in each of his previous two games against the Czech Republic. Both of those came from penalties but, right now, the Tottenham star would settle for a spot-kick.
Kane has only scored two goals in his past 11 appearances for the Three Lions, after scoring 13 times in his previous 11. He is a man in need of a boost.
Czech Republic – Tomas Soucek
One way Jaroslav Silhavy's side can keep Kane quiet is through blocking the supply lines and limiting the space in which he thrives. Over to you, Tomas Soucek.
In the draw with Croatia, the West Ham man contested five aerial duels, made three clearances and completed 51 passes, the most of anyone on the pitch. His efficiency in winning back and distributing the ball makes him a key cog in the Czech team.
KEY OPTA FACTS
- The Czech Republic and England were in the same qualifying group for Euro 2020 – England won 5-0 at Wembley and the Czech Republic prevailed 2-1 in Prague. They are facing each other in a major tournament for the first time.
- The four previous meetings between the Czech Republic and England produced 14 goals, an average of 3.5 per game.
- England are looking to keep clean sheets in every group stage match at a major tournament for only the third time, also doing so at the 1966 World Cup (three matches) and in the second group stage of the 1982 World Cup (two matches).
- Patrik Schick has scored in each of his first two Euros appearances for the Czech Republic, netting three goals. Since his international debut in May 2016, Schick has scored 14 goals in 28 appearances for his national team, more than any other Czech player.
- Raheem Sterling's only hat-trick with the England national team was against the Czech Republic, in the European Championship qualifier at Wembley in March 2019 (5-0).
Mark Cavendish will return to the Tour de France following three years away after he was named as Deceuninck-QuickStep's lead sprinter.
Cavendish has been in fine form in 2021 but was expected to miss out on a place at the Tour as team-mate Sam Bennett won the points classification last year.
However, Bennett will not get the opportunity to defend his green jersey due to a knee injury.
Deceuninck-QuickStep could hardly call on a more experienced replacement, as Cavendish has 30 Tour stage wins to his name.
That haul trails only Eddy Merckx's 34 in the all-time standings and sits well clear of Peter Sagan's 12 – the next-best among active riders.
"I am delighted to be going back to the Tour de France with Deceuninck-QuickStep," said Cavendish, who claimed the green jersey in 2011.
"Obviously, the circumstances with Sam could be better – he had a special Tour last year and I am sad for him not being able to defend his green jersey.
"But at the same time, I am excited to be going back to a race that I have such an affinity with and where I have so much history.
"It is the biggest bike race in the world, and I am going to do all I can to grab this opportunity with both hands."
Bennett said: "Needless to say, I'm very disappointed to not be able to defend my green jersey at this year's Tour de France.
"I had a very minor incident during training a couple of weeks ago, which effected my knee.
"While the injury I sustained is very short term, it impacted my training for the biggest bike race in the world all too much and left me without enough time to be race fit.
"Le Tour deserves me at my best and it would do my team, and myself, an injustice to race in my current condition. I wish the whole Wolfpack a successful three weeks on the road of France."
Cavendish is joined in a talented line-up by, among others, Julian Alaphilippe.
Alaphilippe will be the first Frenchman to wear the world champion's rainbow jersey at the Tour de France since Laurent Brochard in 1998.
The 29-year-old is also the most recent Frenchman to have worn the yellow jersey, having done so for three days in last year's Tour. He previously led the race for 14 days in 2019.
The matchups are set for the NBA's Conference Finals – and few would have predicted these four teams would still be in the running at the start of the year.
In the East, the Brooklyn Nets' superstars fell to the Milwaukee Bucks while the Atlanta Hawks stunned the Philadelphia 76ers.
Western Conference leaders the Utah Jazz became the latest team to give up a lead to the Los Angeles Clippers.
However, the Clippers on Sunday lost Game 1 of their series with the Phoenix Suns, who had been resting since sweeping the Denver Nuggets.
So, which big names were key to deciding these unpredictable battles? Stats Perform takes a look in the latest edition of NBA Heat Check...
RUNNING HOT...
Paul George
Clippers superstar George understandably took a lot of criticism for his playoff performances last season, when he shot 39.8 per cent from the field and scored 10 points or fewer as many times as he reached 30.
But just as Kawhi Leonard went down against the Jazz with a knee injury, for which he has no return date, George found his scoring touch again.
Across four straight wins over Utah – three were last week – George contributed 31, 31, 37 and 28 points. His 37, along with 16 rebounds, came on the road in Game 5, putting the Clippers up for the first time in the series while Leonard sat out.
Even as a surely tired LA team lost to Phoenix on Sunday, George kept them in contention with 34 points to end the week averaging 32.5 per outing, as well as 9.5 rebounds (up from 23.3 and 6.7 respectively in the regular season).
Khris Middleton
Middleton is another impressive regular season performer who has been scrutinised for his postseason displays – and far more recently than last season.
Across the first five games of the Nets series, the wildly inconsistent Bucks forward shot 38.1 per cent from the field. He had 35 points and 15 rebounds in Game 3 but had gone six-for-23 in Game 1, making none of his five three-point attempts.
Yet Middleton's 38 points won Game 6, as he and Giannis Antetokounmpo joined Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal as the only team-mates in NBA history to each have 30 points and 10 rebounds in the same game twice in the same playoff campaign.
With a key role again in the series decider, Middleton became the first player to record at least 20 points, 10 rebounds, five assists and five steals in consecutive postseason games since steals were first tracked in 1973-74.
Devin Booker
Booker played just once last week but put in a performance that cannot go unmentioned. Without veteran Chris Paul to help him, the sixth-year guard weighed in with a 40-point triple-double against the Clippers (also 13 rebounds and 11 assists).
Only Luka Doncic and Hall of Famer Oscar Robertson have achieved the feat at a younger age in the playoffs than the 24-year-old, while Steve Nash – another Hall of Famer – was the previous Suns player to score a postseason triple of any kind back in 2005.
Kevin Durant
Another player whose contributions must be highlighted, even with his team now out of the playoffs, is Durant. With 43.0 points per game last week, he showed the greatest improvement in the league from his regular season performances – up 16.1 on 26.9.
His 12.3 rebounds per game put the two-time Finals MVP second in improvement in that regard, too, but it was not quite enough.
A toe on the three-point line meant Durant's late leveller in Game 7 against the Bucks was not a game-winner, before the Nets lost in overtime despite his 48 points – one short of a heroic Game 5 tally and two shy of his career postseason best.
GOING COLD...
James Harden
That Durant was asked to do so much was due to injuries to both the other members of Brooklyn's 'Big Three'. Kyrie Irving did not play after Game 4 against the Bucks due to an ankle sprain, while Harden returned in Game 5 after missing the previous three.
To anyone watching, though, it was clear Harden was not healthy.
One of the league's great scorers, he made one of 10 field goals in his first game back, with five points in 45 minutes. Harden had never previously scored as few as five in half an hour of play or more.
His form did improve slightly with returns of 16 and 22 points, but Milwaukee won both, with Harden shooting 29.4 per cent from the field as he proved more of a hindrance than a help to Durant with their season on the line.
Ben Simmons
When Harden moved to Brooklyn, Philadelphia was seen as the potential alternative destination, although that would likely have meant the 76ers reluctantly giving up Simmons. After the defeat to Atlanta, Simmons may now leave regardless.
An outstanding defender, the guard's offense has long been a concern and so it proved again as he averaged 7.5 points last week, significantly down on his modest regular season (14.3).
Simmons made single figures in three straight games, twice shooting only four times from the field despite being on the floor for 38 and 35 minutes respectively.
His eight-point effort on Wednesday included going four-of-14 when shooting from the foul line.
Rudy Gobert
This is the first time since 1994 that both top seeds have failed to make the Conference Finals. The Jazz, just like the Sixers, needed more from their second star.
Gobert is the Defensive Player of the Year but looked a liability as the Clippers went small in Game 6, when his plus/minus was a dismal -24.
The Frenchman's output was down in all three defeats last week as he averaged 9.3 rebounds per game, having put up 13.5 in the regular season.
New Zealand were unable to build a lead on day four of the World Test Championship final against India as no play was possible due to rain.
There was frustration when the opening day was washed out in Southampton and it was the same story on a miserable Monday.
The Black Caps had taken the upper hand on day three, Kyle Jamieson taking 5-31 as Virat Kohli's side collapsed to 217 all out.
Devon Conway was dismissed for 54 late in the day, but New Zealand were in a promising position on 101-2 at stumps – trailing by 116.
Although a reserve day has been set aside for Wednesday, a draw would appear the most likely outcome in the inaugural final.
Croatia and Scotland face a must-win showdown at Hampden Park in Euro 2020 Group D – something that is not ideal for Zlatko Dalic's side.
In five previous meetings with Scotland, Croatia have never won (D3 L2). They have only faced world champions France (eight times) and reigning Euros kings Portugal (seven) more often without tasting victory.
But Scotland have been hit by a COVID-19 positive for Billy Gilmour after the Chelsea midfielder's man-of-the-match showing in the 0-0 draw with England.
That game at Wembley engendered a feelgood factor around Steve Clarke's squad, despite the fact they remain without a goal or a win in their two matches at the tournament so far.
Indeed, despite the impressive work overall of front two Che Adams and Lyndon Dykes last time out, Scotland have failed to score in five of their past eight matches at major tournaments (W1 D3 L4), with their 30 shots at Euro 2020 all fruitless.
"There’s been a good mood around the camp since we played England," Clarke said.
"I think the performance more than the result is what pleased us. We needed something from the game to make the last game the cup final it is, and we’re all looking forward to it."
Like Scotland, Croatia's haul of one point from two games means victory and hoping to finish as one of the four best third-place teams looks their most likely route through.
"I want this Croatia side to have support from the public, they deserve that, they deserve it for everything they've done for Croatian football," Dalic said. "As long as we have a chance to qualify, we need support."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Scotland – Scott McTominay
Gilmour's absence leaves a question mark over how Steve Clarke will use McTominay for this crunch clash. The Manchester United player reverted to a place in the back three against England, where he was a calming influence – his 54 touches more than any other Scotland player. When he featured in central midfield for the 2-0 defeat to the Czech Republic, no team-mate bettered McTominay's two tackles or three interceptions.
Croatia – Ivan Perisic
Mario Mandzukic and Ivan Rakitic are sorely missed and Luka Modric might be straining for the memory of his Ballon d'Or-winning form, but Croatia still have Perisic to fire their hopes of progress. The Inter winger's blistering strike to snatch a 1-1 draw against the Czechs kept them above water in the competition. It also made him the first Croatia player to score at four different major tournaments, with eight goals in such matches overall.
KEY OPTA FACTS
– None of the five matches between Croatia and Scotland have produced more than two goals.
– Scotland have only lost one of their past nine matches at Hampden Park, their opening reverse against the Czech Republic. They last suffered consecutive defeats there in 2019.
– Croatia have won only two of their previous 11 international matches across all competitions (D3 L6) and are winless in their past four (D2 L2). Scotland are looking to avoid failing to score in three consecutive competitive matches for the first time since three games between November 2003 and October 2004.
– Nikola Vlasic is the sole midfielder with five or more goals and five or more assists in each of the past three campaigns in the Russian Premier League. The only other player to do so in the competition is Zenit striker Artem Dzyuba.
– Andrej Kramaric is one of the three players to have scored 10 or more goals in each of the past five Bundesliga seasons, alongside Robert Lewandowski and Serge Gnabry.
France winger Ousmane Dembele will miss the rest of Euro 2020 due to a knee injury.
The Barcelona player came on after 57 minutes of Les Bleus' 1-1 draw with Hungary in Budapest but had to be withdrawn half an hour later.
According to head coach Didier Deschamps, Dembele, who only managed 16 touches in his 30 minutes on the pitch, "took a knock" to his knee and felt further pain when he attempted a cross.
The French Football Federation (FFF) said Dembele was sent for scans on Sunday, which showed he will be unable to recover in time to play a part in the remainder of the tournament.
It is the latest in a string of injuries that have blighted Dembele's career since his move to Barca from Borussia Dortmund for €105million four years ago.
Persistent problems with hamstring and thigh muscles have restricted the 24-year-old to 54 LaLiga starts in four seasons at Camp Nou.
Last season, Dembele completed 90 minutes in the league on just five occasions.
France face Portugal on matchday three needing a draw to guarantee a place in the top two of Group F.
Billy Gilmour will miss Scotland's crucial Euro 2020 clash against Croatia after testing positive for COVID-19.
The Chelsea midfielder must self-isolate for a period of 10 days, ruling him out of Tuesday's Group D contest which Steve Clarke's men must win to have a chance of making the last 16.
A short statement from the Scottish Football Association read: "The Scottish FA can confirm that a member of the Scotland National Team playing squad, Billy Gilmour, has tested positive for COVID-19.
"Having liaised with Public Health England since the positive test was recorded, Billy will now self-isolate for 10 days and therefore miss tomorrow's UEFA EURO 2020 Group D match against Croatia at Hampden."
It represents a huge blow for Scotland after Gilmour was named man of the match for his display in the goalless draw against England at Wembley.
The 20-year-old led Scotland for passes (44), completed passes (40) and passes in the opposition half (24), while he gained possession eight times, more than anyone else on the pitch.
Scotland ended the match with more attempts (11-9) and shots on target (2-1) than England, though the hosts edged the xG battle (1.6-0.7).
Clarke's men must secure victory at Hampden Park. Both Scotland and Croatia are on one point after two games, with England and the Czech Republic – who face off at Wembley – each on four.
The Tokyo Olympics could take place with no spectators in attendance if the Japanese capital is placed into another state of emergency, the nation's prime minister Yoshihide Suga has said.
Japan is moving ahead with plans to host the Games, which were postponed by a year due to the coronavirus pandemic, despite strong public opposition and warnings from health officials that crowds could lead to increased infection rates.
International fans are already banned from attending, with a decision on domestic spectators due to be taken on Monday.
On Sunday, the state of emergency that had been imposed on Tokyo and eight other prefectures was lifted, though looser restrictions remain in place until July 11.
Speaking to reporters at a vaccination centre, Suga said: "In the event a state of emergency was declared then we can't rule out not having spectators.
"I think that's obvious from the standpoint of making safety and security our utmost priority."
There were 376 new positive tests for COVID-19 reported in Tokyo on Sunday, an increase on the 304 a week prior. The seven-day average in the capital also rose to 388 from 384.1.
Tokyo 2020 president Seiko Hashimoto and Tokyo 2020 CEO Toshiro Muto are due to hold a news conference later on Monday after the culmination of talks surrounding domestic fans.
Britain's biggest hope for Wimbledon glory believes All England Club absentee Naomi Osaka deserves admiration for her impact on and off the court this year.
Johanna Konta beat Osaka three times before the Japanese player went on a stratospheric rise, and she still holds that 3-0 record, given the pair have surprisingly gone four years without facing each other on tour.
While Konta will bid to become a first British champion in the Wimbledon women's singles since 1977 winner Virginia Wade, superstar Osaka has elected to skip the grand slam which begins next Monday, just weeks after withdrawing from the French Open.
Osaka is the reigning US Open and Australian Open champion, but she abandoned her Roland Garros campaign on May 31 after a first-round win and revealed a long-endured battle with depression.
She made that announcement a day after the grand slams warned she could be thrown out of their tournaments for repeatedly skipping mandatory post-match media duties, with Osaka receiving messages of support from the likes of Serena and Venus Williams and Billie Jean King.
The 23-year-old had already declared she would not take part in media conferences during her stay in Paris for the sake of her mental health, questioning the set-up of such interviews and why sporting bodies insist stars must always take part. She faced criticism from some quarters but has started a wider, valuable conversation about how athletes are treated.
Osaka, who last year was ranked by Forbes as the highest-paid female athlete in world sport, has been a powerful and uncompromising voice on race and gender inequality issues, with Konta impressed by the impact such a young player is having.
"As a tennis player she's a four-time grand slam champion already, so she's an incredibly gifted, good tennis player and she is reaching the results that prove that as well," said Konta, a Jaguar ambassador.
"I think for the game, she'll probably be around and be successful for quite some time to come.
"She has a big passion for social movements and current social matters and she feels empowered by using her voice in ways she feels is beneficial to things that she believes in and that's her prerogative to do so.
"And I think that as long as people stay authentic to themselves and what they believe in, I think they make the biggest positive impact they can, and that is the rule of thumb that she's following.
"Obviously a lot of people will find a lot of solace in someone as successful as her talking about things that maybe they experience but don't have the sort of social platform or, I guess, strength of voice to be able to put it in the public domain. Kudos to her for being true to herself."
Konta's wins over Osaka came at the second-round stage of the 2015 US Open, the same round at the 2017 Australia Open, and later in 2017 in Stuttgart.
Their next meeting could come at the Tokyo Olympics, with both planning to take part, Osaka hoping to strike what would be a famous gold for Japan.
The best tennis of Konta's 2021 season so far saw her land a grass-court title at the Nottingham Open this month, becoming the first British woman to win a WTA singles tournament on home soil since Sue Barker did so at the Daihatsu Challenge event in Brighton in 1981.
It gave Konta a first trophy since winning the Miami Open in 2017 and a fourth career title, with the former world number four hitting her stride in timely fashion ahead of a Wimbledon tilt.
For any British player at Wimbledon, attention can be intense, but that is particularly the case for the few who have enjoyed success on a scale Konta has experienced, reaching the semi-finals in 2017 and getting through to the quarters two years ago, the last time the tournament was held.
She has found ways to alleviate the pressure from her own perspective, explaining how she took the heat out of situations so successfully in previous championships.
"Playing in 2017 and getting to the semis there, I didn't feel too overwhelmed by attention," Konta, 30, said in an interview with Stats Perform.
"I think attention can only be too overwhelming if you put yourself in the position where you are looking for it and acknowledging it.
"For me, I would wake up, have breakfast, get in my own car and drive myself to the site, warm up and play my match and do the media and all that, then I'd get in my car and come home, have dinner, watch a series or watch a film, but I wasn't spending my time on social media, I wasn't watching the news, I wasn't really doing too much.
"The only time I noticed that things were happening was when I needed to pop to the supermarket to get some food, and all the newspapers that were there had my face on them, so that was an interesting one."
:: Johanna Konta is a Jaguar ambassador. Jaguar is the Official Car of The Championships, Wimbledon. To discover Jaguar’s unmatched experiences visit jaguar.co.uk/Wimbledon
Atlanta Hawks head coach Nate McMillan praised forward Kevin Huerter for his remarkable performance in the side's 103-96 Game 7 win over the Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday.
Huerter stepped up to score a team-high 27 points, while Trae Young erred with his shooting, as the Hawks booked a spot in the Eastern Conference finals against the Milwaukee Bucks.
The 22-year-old had struggled for impact in the series but shone in the decider, shooting 10-from-18 from the field, including two three-pointers, with three assists and a steal.
"Kevin came out tonight and was very aggressive," McMillan said.
"We pretty much fed the hot hand. Our guards, Trae and Lou [Williams], did a good job of calling the game and keeping Kevin involved.
"He did a great job of making plays for us tonight. We needed that. He came through. He really struggled last game shooting the ball but we believe in him.
"We wanted those guys to stay aggressive. No hesitation. Tonight he came up big for us."
Young put up his worst display of the series in Game 7, only managing five-from-23 from the field, shooting at 21.7 per cent.
McMillan felt Young still contributed, ending with 10 assists but also hailed a side which does not rely on one player.
"Trusting in other guys and trusting in our game plan," he said. "Trae, we wanted him to be aggressive. His shot wasn’t falling but he got the ball to some other guys and they were able to make some plays.
"Kevin led us tonight. Galo [Daniro Gallinari] did a good job tonight. John Collins continues to be consistent. I thought Clint [Capela] did an outstanding job of guarding Embiid.
"It was a team effort. One guy didn’t shoot the ball well, but other guys we trusted. They came through for us."
The Hawks will take on Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks in the Conference finals starting on Wednesday.
"Giannis is a great player, two-time MVP," McMillan said. "We know what Milwaukee is all about, that's a really good team.
"Our focus has been on Philadelphia and right now we'll go enjoy this and we'll start preparing for Milwaukee tomorrow."
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