Johanna Konta reaches career-high of four in world with Andy Murray under threat at top of rankings

Despite seeing her hopes of becoming the first British women's finalist at Wimbledon in four decades end in a 6-4 6-2 defeat by five-times champion Venus Williams, the 26-year-old has broken into the top five in the game for the first time.

In doing so, she emulates the achievements of 1977 Wimbledon champion Virginia Wade, 1976 French Open winner Sue Barker and Eurosport tennis expert Jo Durie, who managed the feat in 1984.

Konta will hope to improve her standing at the Rogers Cup in Toronto on August 7, her next tournament on the WTA Tour.

But she has opted not to defend the title she won in Stanford by beating Venus a year ago. Her ranking could be affected by failing to defend the points picked up in claiming her first WTA title in California.

Konta reached a career-best fourth round of the US Open last year, and will harbour hopes of improving on that achievement when the final Grand Slam of the season begins in New York on August 28.

Andy Murray could lose his position as world number one to Rafael Nadal or Wimbledon champion Roger Federer over the next month or two.

The Scotsman is battling with a hip injury that saw him limp out of his quarter-final defeat to Sam Querrey at Wimbledon and could be forced to miss the US Open, depending on medical advice.

He is due to play Montreal and Cincinnati before then but if he misses the tournament in Canada, Nadal would be in pole position to return to the top of the standings as he is only 1,205 points behind.

Murray is already resigned to relinquishing the position.

"I haven't played well enough this year to deserve to stay there for much longer," he said.

"If it doesn't happen by the end of Wimbledon, it will happen by the end of the US Open."