Johanna Konta will watch her new celebrity fan, Tom Hiddleston, on his Broadway debut in Harold Pinter’s Betrayal before she leaves New York but her dialogue was not quite as economical as the playwright’s when she discussed her loss to Elina Svitolina in the quarter-finals.

There was, after all, much to analyse. The British No 1 is used to the big stage after 11 years on the tour, although she was hoping for more in her third performance on the game’s biggest stage, the 24,000-capacity Arthur Ashe Stadium, on day nine of the tournament. Konta shared the generous applause of the crowd with her conqueror and friend, after the fifth seed beat her for the fourth time in a row, 6-4, 6-4, in an hour and 40 minutes. That helped – but there was disappointment to deal with, too.

Falling short in the last major of the year after the best summer of her career felt a little flat, although she was characteristically upbeat as she looked forward to the Asian swing.

“I would have loved to have come through that and come through a challenge like her,” she said, “but I guess it will just have to be next time.”

Svitolina, who has not dropped a set in her five wins here, was a picture of resolute discipline again, giving up just 13 unforced errors for the third match in a row, to Konta’s 35. Those were the numbers that underpinned the result, although Konta forced the best out of her opponent in several hard-fought rallies.

“I definitely think it’s a matter of the more opportunities I give myself like this, the more chances I have of going a step further – and even more steps further,” she said. “I don’t have any regrets or any hindsight about what I did before or during the match. I can definitely get better and better, especially against an opponent like today. I can take a lot of good things from this.”

She did not agree that the pain of losing at this stage of a slam was less acute than when she under-performed in the semi-finals at Roland Garros and the quarters at Wimbledon.

“No, I wouldn’t say that. Different matches ask different things, and today’s match was a different match to the one I played in Paris (where she lost to the Russian prodigy Marketa Vondrousova, who has since risen from No 38 in the world to No 17).

“Every time you win or lose a match it feels different. There is always going to be disappointment and some sadness after losing, regardless of the round. Losing in the latter stages of a slam is obviously a very good problem to have, but you also want to go further and further.”

There was much to admire about her performance here – if not quite as much as she showed in her wins to get to this stage.

Victory would have made her the sixth active female player to reach the semi-finals of all four majors, but it is a goal that is not beyond her.

Most of her hitting off the ground was clean, crisp and irresistible, and her variation, especially the drop-shot to which she is now committed, asked a lot of questions of Svitolina, with whom she sometimes hits when the Ukrainian is in London.

Svitolina has a flat there – as well as a British coach, Andrew Bettles, and a former boyfriend in the ex-England cricketer, Reece Topley. Svitolina, typical of many on-the-road sporting celebrities, also has an apartment in Monte Carlo, where she lives with Gaël Monfils.

The Frenchman was in her team’s box on Tuesday, before heading for the practice courts to prepare for his quarter-final on Wednesday against the Italian Matteo Berrettini, the 25th seed.

If they were to go all the way and win both singles titles, the celebrations would be long and joyous, no doubt. They are an extremely close couple and willing to share at least some of their lives on a joint Instagram account. Svitolina occasionally practises with Monfils, as well, but added: “He’s hitting pretty strong and very heavy. Definitely it helps me to practise with him, but I need to find a balance, as well. If I only practise with him, I’m going to be only in defence most of the time, and that’s not so good, either.”

She was not sure, though, if she would be trying to emulate the Frenchman’s now famous 360-degree celebratory flip-flop smash. “I have been practising it. Actually this morning I did it. Not as good, though.”

Svitolina said of Konta: “She strikes the ball very well. She plays very good tennis at the baseline. Her shots are very strong, so you have to expect that. You have to react really quickly with your feet to get behind the ball, try to make her hit one more shot. I think today I did very well to get lots of balls back and try to get my opportunity.”

Konta agreed. “Definitely. I have played her four times, and haven’t beaten her yet.

“I do feel that was probably the best I felt her play against me. Actually, I didn’t play badly. I felt like I was doing a lot of good things out there, a lot of the right things. But she just made me play that extra ball.”