15 seeds, Maria Kirilenko and Agnieszka Radwaska.[53]. Along with her job commentating for TV, she will also be a tournament director for the first time this summer, running the grass-court event in Nottingham after shadowing similar roles in 2022, and also has a job working for the All England Club (AELTC), fostering international player relations as part of the professional tennis team. Robson required a series a hip surgeries throughout the latter stages of her career which again kept her side-lined for much of the last few year, ending with the 28-year-old announcing her retirement from professional tennis in 2022. [81] Robson became the first female British tennis player to reach this stage of a Grand Slam tournament since Samantha Smith reached the fourth round of Wimbledon 14 years previously, but she was defeated by defending champion Stosur, ending her best run at a Grand Slam tournament to date. 100, Simona Halep. Id known for a while that I wasnt gonna be able to play, Robson tells i ahead of her stint commentating on the Australian Open, live on discovery+ and Eurosport. Kerber, 20, the world No 143, was in the top 70 . Becoming a dominant force on tour, Robson beat Venus Williams, Petra Kvitova and world No.4 Agnieszka Radwaska throughout another brilliant season. Andy Murrays dream week in Doha came to an end after losing out to Daniil Medvedev 6-4, 6-4 in the Qatar Open final. To find out more about our use of cookies and how you can disable them, please see our Privacy Policy. Serving is a lot less stressful as you literally just bounce the ball and slice it into the court. Robson had direct entry to the main draw of the US Open from her WTA ranking, where she defeated Samantha Crawford in the first round. She made her debut on the ITF Junior Circuit in 2007. Speaking after her historic victory on Court One, Robson said: Being Wimbledon girls' champion sounds really good. Finalist (1): 2012 - Guangzhou. I can now be much more open and positive about how things ended. Finalist (1): 2012 - Olympics (w/A.Murray). Get the latest Player Stats on Laura Robson including her videos, highlights, and more at the official Women's Tennis Association website. DOUBLES There are still moments of regret and angst, like when she found herself commentating on Jessica Pegula in Adelaide, the world No 3 and a genuine contender to win her first singles grand slam in Melbourne. 4, Agnieszka Radwaska, in the second round of the Madrid Open. Robson's serve was fragile at times but. Due to rain delay, both quarter- and semifinals were played on the same day. She retired from professional tennis on May 16, 2022, at the age of 28. [68], After a second round showing at the Birmingham Classic (lost to Marina Erakovic), Robson came through qualifying at the Eastbourne International. [124] She reached the second round of the Ilkley $100k event before falling to Maryna Zanevska in three sets. "I had another hip surgery and probably did the best rehab block of my life and then the second time I hit, I just knew. [59] Her season was disrupted by injury at the Hopman Cup[60] and she did not compete in a tournament until March 2011; her comeback was then delayed for a further month by an injury in her second competition. It can engage with people who might find tennis too difficult and thats the beauty of padel. Robson has not played a competitive match since . Robson was defeated by Germany's Sabine Lisicki but won the mixed doubles against Germany. But Im really proud of the Olympics, of playing Fed Cup playing for your country in any way was always one of my favourite weeks of the year and I think playing Wimbledon and the US Open the time that I did well, I will have those memories forever.. Will be used in accordance with the WTA Privacy Policy and the ATP Privacy Policy. Tiafoe, advances to Mexican Open semis, 2nd-seeded Cerundolo ousted from Chile Open, Collins rolls past McNally into Austin quarters, USTA sees rise in Hispanic, Black, Asian players, Djokovic still unbeaten in '23, makes Dubai semis, Ghana tennis players furious after shooting in Nigeria, No. [40] After beating third seed Laura-Ioana Andrei in the quarterfinals, she also beat fellow Brits Tara Moore and Samantha Vickers in straight sets to win her first ITF title at the age of 14 years and 9 months.[40][41]. Former British No 1 Laura Robson has taken the next step in her tennis journey after accepting the role as Tournament Director at next years Rothesay Open in Nottingham. With her natural ball-striking ability and big-match mentality, Robson was quickly marked out for stardom and rose swiftly through the senior ranks, reaching the fourth round at the US Open in 2012 and winning an Olympic silver medal in mixed doubles with Andy Murray. It was another fantastic year for Robson representing Great Britain on the international stage. Robson will be joined in the event by rising British star Tia Norton and another former tennis star in Jo Ward, who played in first Wimbledon championships during her tennis career. Posting pictures of herself smiling in a red polka dot bikini, the Australia-born star wrote: "Me looking at the London forecast. [25], After recovering from her injury, Robson entered the junior tournament of the 2009 Australian Open, where she was seeded fifth. We all saw him quite soon after his surgery, to where he is now, and you can see after every match the improvement that hes making as well where you just get more used to it. 2010 - Reached 2r once; fell 1r four times (incl. Wimbledon and US Open); fell 1r twice and in qualifying twice. Crowning off her breakout season on tour, Robson was named WTA Newcomer of the Year at the annual awards. She lost to 13th seed Jelena Jankovi in the first round. 1 pairing of Sara Errani and Roberta Vinci, in straight sets in the semifinals, before losing to Nadia Petrova and Katarina Srebotnik. Former British No 1 Laura Robson could have a sporting career back on court after her retirement from tennis, after she confirmed her entry into a padel tournament in London next week. Robson, junior Wimbledon champion and Olympic silver medallist, rose as high as 27 in the WTA rankings in July 2013, and reached the last 16 at both Wimbledon and the US Open. In the third round, she came from a set down to beat Marina Erakovic to progress to the last 16 where she was beaten by Kaia Kanepi. two Labradors, Ella and Kiri . [87] In November, along with Heather Watson, won "Young Sportswoman of the Year" at the 2012 Sunday Times Sportswomen of the Year Awards. 180, Zuzana Ondrkov, and in the second Julia Grges, the world No. But increasingly that may not be as easy as it sounds. ", [Murrays] got a totally bionic hip now, so hes one-upped me there, but Ive had access to the same programmes so fingers crossed Im able to do the same, Katie Boulter replied: "It's a yes from me", and one more fan said "Cheered up my drizzly Friday.". It has also been announced today that Robson has taken up a role in the Professional Tennis team at the AELTC working on international player relations. Robson was the defending champion at Wimbledon, but she fell in the second round to Quirine Lemoine. You can have great rallies and even if you are not a tennis player, your level can come up quite quickly. She debuted on the ITF Junior Circuit in 2007, and a year later won the Junior Wimbledon championships at the age of 14. Robson went on to hold an impressive record for Great Britain in the Fed Cup winning 13 out of 16 rubbers she played. A former world No. Robson lost her second match against Paula Ormaechea in three sets.[94]. [12], According to her parents, she began playing tennis "as soon as she could hold a tennis racquet",[13] and after being encouraged by them, she entered a junior tennis academy at age seven. Daniil Medvedev had plenty to say about Stefanos Tsitsipas disrespect towards Andrey Rublev. But towards the end of the year, Robson began to struggle with a wrist injury which would force her to miss much of the 2014 and 2015 seasons. [11] Robson and her family moved from Melbourne to Singapore when she was 18 months old, where she attended Tanglin Trust School and then to the United Kingdom when she was six. Way-too-early tennis rankings . I feel like Im in the oldies group. US Open chiefs have joined Indian Wells and Miami organisasers by making a public call for Djokovic to be allowed to play in America. ", 2012 William Hill Sportswoman of the Year, "WTA Player Awards: The Fan Favorites & More", "Fed Cup Player Profile Laura Robson", "Laura Robson & Lisa Raymond lose Miami doubles final", "Laura Robson's surprise defeat sees Great Britain lose to Argentina and end Fed Cup World Group hopes", "Laura Robson beats Agnieszka Radwanska at Madrid Open Tennis News ESPN.co.uk", "Laura Robson beaten in tiebreak by Ana Ivanovic at the Madrid Open", "Roger Federer falls to fifth in world rankings after Wimbledon exit", "Laura Robson pulls out of the Rogers Cup", "Laura Robson books place in second round", "US Open 2013: Li avenges 2012's loss to Robson", "Laura Robson out of Wimbledon and French Open with injured wrist", "Laura Robson targets Australian Open in January as she recovers from wrist surgery", "Former British No 1 Laura Robson withdraws from French Open", "Laura Robson forced to delay comeback from wrist injury", "Laura Robson declines Miami Open qualifying wildcard", "Laura Robson looks ahead despite Daria Gavrilova's easy Eastbourne win", "Wimbledon 2015: Laura Robson given wildcard", "Wimbledon 2015: Heather Watson through but Laura Robson out", "Laura Robson: Ex-British number one wins Koser Jewelers Challenge", "US Open: Laura Robson and Tara Moore reach second round of qualifying", "Laura Robson qualifies for US Open with win over Tatjana Maria", "US Open 2016: Naomi Broady defeats Laura Robson in battle of the Brits", "Tereza Martincova vs. Laura Robson 31.12.2016 ASB Classic Auckland TennisLive.co.uk", "Australian Open 2017: Laura Robson defeated by Amandine Hesse in first round of qualifying", "Andrzieux-Boutheon (ITF) Brouleau battue, Robson OUT", "Laura Robson is back inside the top 200 after winning ITF 60k Kurume tournament", "Aegon Surbiton Trophy Daily round-up | Tennis in Britain", "Qualifier Jana Fett causes upset as Brits take to Centre Court | Tennis in Britain", "Aegon Ilkley Trophy: Daily updates from Ilkley Lawn Tennis and Squash Club | Tennis in Britain", "Wimbledon 2017: Andy Murray to start title defence against Alexander Bublik", "Australian Open qualifying draws not fair, says Anne Keothavong", "King and Robson take out women's doubles", "Laura Robson claims doubles title in Yokohama", "Laura Robson: Comeback from hip surgery 'better than expected', "Laura Robson: Former British number one has second hip operation", "Laura Robson dazzles with power and poise to win title", "Wimbledon 2013: Laura Robson tipped for future glory", "Laura Robson shows all the right qualities to continue her winning habit", "Williams praises rising star Laura Robson", "My perfect weekend: Laura Robson, British female No 1", 2009 Australian Open Girls' Singles main draw, 2010 Australian Open Girls' Singles main draw, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Laura_Robson&oldid=1139635120, This page was last edited on 16 February 2023, at 03:17. But a wrist injury began to trouble her later in 2013 and kept her out for most of the next two years. Serena Williams, the owner of 23 Grand Slam singles titles, is retiring from tennis after this summer's U.S. Open. Former British No 1 tennis player Laura Robson eyeing a move into padel News Kevin Palmer July 27, 2022 Former British No 1 Laura Robson could have a sporting career back on court after her retirement from tennis, after she confirmed her entry into a padel tournament in London next week. It really feels like the game is on an upward curve. "I went through every possibility of rehab and of surgery," Robson told the BBC. She followed this with her first victory at the Australian Open with a convincing straight sets victory over Melanie Oudin. Her agent Eisenbund stated that she had not suffered a setback, and was "closer and closer" to a return. [98] Laura moved into the second round faced with the world No. Get official communications from the WTA and ATP, delivered straight to your e-mail! What I would say is that as a sport, it is a lot easier to pick up. [16] After the tournament, Robson started to train with Gil Reyes, the former trainer of Andre Agassi. MELBOURNE Laura Robson may have retired from tennis but she remains an extremely busy woman, and is involved in tennis as much as she ever was - even if she is no longer playing. I travel a lot with my tennis, still practice a lot, play a lot of . [100] The same injury also led to her pulling out of the tournament in Cincinnati, however her ranking of No. 2011 - Reached 2r three times (incl. Laura Robson says she is happy with her game ahead of her Wimbledon first-round meeting with Francesca Schiavone on Tuesday. I am a positive and a critical thinker who strives to achieve the optimum standard and possibly be the best. [131], After missing the entire 2020 and 2021 seasons following continuous injuries and multiple hip surgeries, Robson announced her retirement from the sport shortly before the 2022 French Open. She went on to face the 12th seed, Tamaryn Hendler, who she defeated in straight sets. This was the first WTA singles final for any British woman since Jo Durie in 1990. The 28-year-old will be taking up the role of Tournament Director at the Rothesay Open and also at an additional combined ITF event planned for April 2023. LAURA ROBSON has stunned in a tiny red polka dot bikini while sunning herself on a luxury break away as she targets an Andy Murray style comeback. I think overall Im a much nicer person from going through all of that, said the 28-year-old, who has carved out a new career in TV and radio. It is weird to be retired at 28, but it is what it is.. However, she later lost her next match to Tmea Babos. I come from a player background, I really understand how tough it is on tour, which I think they appreciate as well., Watch every match from the Australian Open live and exclusive ondiscovery+and Eurosport. There are always a lot of smiles on court and it is a great game. We use cookies on our site to ACE your experience, improve the quality of our site and show you content we think youll be interested in. However, she has been criticised for having "poor lateral movement",[133] as well as an inconsistent second serve, resulting in a considerable number of double faults. Padels rise in popularity has been promoted by prominent supporters like football superstar David Beckham and Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp, with former British No 1 Annabel Croft telling Tennis365 that she believes the sport that is hugely popular in Spain is ready to explode in the UK. [16] She was also named the MCC Young Sportswoman of the Year. 2 seed and world No. [122] The tournament win moved her up 80 places in the ranking, causing her to reach the top 200 for the first time since 2014. two Labradors, Ella and Kiri . Laura Robson will be on commentary for the Australian Open and the former tennis star has identified two British stars to be amongst the charge This was her first main-draw appearance after her comeback. Robson was selected for the first time in her career to be a member of British Fed Cup team to play in the Europe/Africa Group-1 match at Eilat, Israel, on 14 February 2012. Seeded seventh, her first senior seeding, she reached the quarterfinals. She lost her opening match to Yaroslava Shvedova of Kazakhstan. [Murrays] been at the national centre as well so weve seen him a lot and its been amazing to see his progress. 27, Robson lifted the junior crown at the grasscourt Grand Slam as a 14-year-old in 2008 and followed up her success with an Olympic medal partnering Andy Murray at London 2012. She returned in 2016 but did not manage to recapture the same form she had showed in her teenage years and was unable to climb back into the top 100. Returning again at the end of April 2011, Robson's best performance to date came at the $50k tournament at Indian Harbor Beach, Florida, where she reached the semifinals. In July 2015, she played at the $50k event in Granby and won a tough three-set match over second seed Naomi Osaka. [47], Robson represented Great Britain in the Fed Cup World Group II play-off against Argentina. But thats really the only time I think about it.. She followed up her performance with her first victory over a top-ten player, beating ninth seed Li Na in the third round, in three sets. [138] Robson's favourite surface to play on was grass and her favourite shot was her forehand down the line.[139]. Robson won just four senior main draw matches in her whole career at Wimbledon, losing in the first round six times, and her WTA ranking peaked at No 27. At the 2012 Guangzhou Women's Open, Robson became the first British woman since Jo Durie in 1990 to reach a WTA Tour final, where she lost to Hsieh Su-wei. Robson then beat Lauren Davis in the quarterfinals. To see all content on The Sun, please use the Site Map. US Open chiefs have joined Indian Wells and Miami organisasers by making a public call for Djokovic to be allowed to play in America. At the Katowice Open, Robson was seeded eighth, but lost in the first round to Lourdes Domnguez Lino. Carlos Alcaraz needs to play smarter according to his coaches. However, the result helped Robson break into the top 100 for the first time in her career. And just the fact that its taken [the PTPA] this long to come up with a player counsel, shows you how tough it is. ", Fellow tennis ace Katie Swan commented: "Now thats an inferno Pilates bod. [101] In the second round, she faced world No. I've sort of known that for a while because of what I was told by the doctors last year, but I think it just took me so long to say it to myself, which is why it took me so long to say it officially. She admitted that is taking inspiration from former partner Murray, who will complete a sensational turnaround from the brink of retirement to make his Gram Slam singles return at the Australian Open in January. [121] Robson won the biggest title of her career at a $60k tournament in Kurume, Fukuoka, defeating fellow Briton Katie Boulter in straight sets. In the semifinals she faced a replay of her Wimbledon final, against top seed Tara Flanagan,[26] whom she beat in straight sets to reach her second Grand Slam junior final. The 28-year-old rose to 27 in the world. The 28-year-old who rose as high as 27 in the WTA rankings and reached the fourth round at both Wimbledon and the US Open retires following a long-standing battle with injuries throughout her career. I havent quite mastered the back wall yet, but it is a very social game. Ons Jabeur stands with migrants in their struggle. 5 and 2002 Wimbledon quarterfinalist, Daniela Hantuchov, in the first round but lost despite being a break up in the second set. Robson has been working with the LTA on developing her knowledge of event operations and tournament management over the past 18 months. [70] She continued her good form in the quarterfinal, where she emerged victorious against No. However, she got a place in the first round of the main draw as a lucky loser when Slvia Soler Espinosa withdrew, but then lost her first-round match to Anabel Medina Garrigues. She reached her first WTA final at the Guangzhou Open and finished the season just outside the worlds top 50. Laura Robson: Wimbledon wildcard aiming to get career back on track The teenage tennis champion and Olympic silver winner needs time to work on her form after 18 months battling a left-wrist. Each time I play padel, I come off with a big smile on my face. Friday January 22 2021, 12.01am GMT, The Times. In July 2018, she underwent hip surgery,[8] and she did not return to the WTA Tour afterwards. Stuart Fraser. She started off the year playing some American Challenger events, with limited success. [32], Following her victory at Wimbledon, Robson made her debut on the ITF Women's Circuit at a $10k tournament in Limoges, France. Robson, who spoke to Tennis365 during Wimbledon about the challenges of coming to terms with retirement from tennis, took part in the Invitational event for ex-players at this years Championships at the All England Club. [47] On 10 November, Robson beat Yuliya Beygelzimer in the first round of the Minsk ITF event. Her performance pushed her up to 27 in the world, the first Briton in the top 30 since Jo Durie in 1987. It is easy to forget that Robson is only 28 years old, because most people have known who she is for more than a decade. [19] Her victory made her the first British player to win the girls' event since Annabel Croft in 1984, and the British media described her as the "new darling" of British tennis,[21] and the "Queen of Wimbledon". She showed great courage and maturity in her play and didn't go to pieces after being a set down and also being 3-0 down in the third. 57, Anastasija Sevastova, in the first round of qualifying and reached the main draw by beating world No. She then qualified for the main draw of the Aegon Classic in Edgbaston, after receiving a wildcard for the qualifying. In the same year, Robson also claimed her first ITF title on home soil at the $10k event in Sunderland, where she defeated fellow Brits Tara Moore and Samantha Vickers to be crowned champion. 2021 Associated Newspapers Limited. She later attributed her loss to Pervak's greater consistency,[28] and her coach Bok said that "everybody has to be patient". [93], Robson was seeded 16th at Charleston and reached the second round before losing to Eugenie Bouchard in three sets. Rafael Nadals nearly 18-year streak in the top ten is ending. Despite the seeding, she lost in straight sets to the eventual champion Daniela Hantuchov. After the Australian Open, Robson did not play again until the start of April. In singles tennis, Robson was the first British woman since Samantha Smith at Wimbledon in 1998 to reach the fourth round of a Grand Slam tournament, doing so at the 2012 US Open and the 2013 Wimbledon Championships. MELBOURNE Laura Robson may have retired from tennis but she remains an extremely busy woman, and is involved in tennis as much as she ever was - even if she is no longer playing. Click here to find out more info. 75 Caroline Garcia, and won in two tight sets. In the summer she was selected to play for Team GB at the 2012 London Olympic Games, where she finished with a silver medal in the mixed doubles alongside Andy Murray one of the crowning jewels in her career. MIXED DOUBLES [46] In the final round of qualifying, she lost to Maria Elena Camerin. Wimbledon organisers and the LTA could be set to reverse the ban on players from Russia and Belarus. 22, Zheng Jie, and the No. Serena Williams. [18] As the youngest player in the tournament,[19] she beat top seed Melanie Oudin[20] on her way to the finals where she defeated third seed Noppawan Lertcheewakarn. . Last May, four years after her first hip surgery, she finally announced she was giving up her dream job. However, she lost her next match to American qualifier Ellie Halbauer. Despite continuous struggles with injury and time away from the tour, Robson won the biggest singles title of her career in 2017 at the ITF $60K tournament in Kurume where she defeated Katie Boulter in the final. At the beginning of her grass-court season, Robson played the $100k event in Surbiton, but lost in the first round to Marina Erakovic. Robson started her 2014 season at the Hobart International, where she had to retire in her first round match against Yanina Wickmayer due to a left wrist injury. 906 in July 2015. 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Daniil Medvedev says that Novak Djokovics grass court game is unmatched. Respected LTA Tournament Director Rebecca James will remain a key figure in the organisation of the Nottingham event, while also overseeing the operational delivery of both the Rothesay Open and Rothesay International Eastbourne. On 9 June, Wimbledon announced that Robson received a wildcard for the singles event. (W) winner; (F) finalist; (SF) semifinalist; (QF) quarterfinalist; (#R) rounds 4, 3, 2, 1; (RR) round-robin stage; (Q#) qualification round; (DNQ) did not qualify; (A) absent; (NH) not held; (SR) strike rate (events won / competed); (WL) winloss record. Twenty-two-time slam winner is unvaccinated. After a year, she won the Junior Wimbledon championships when she was just 14. She was defeated by Kristna's twin sister Karolna in the final. Yet it seems her appetite to compete on court is still burning brightly, after the 28-year-old confirmed her entry into the FIP London Padel Open, that gets underway at the LTAs National Tennis Centre on August 4th.