Robsons role at Nottingham bolsters a rising number of female leaders in tennis, with former world No 1 Amelie Mauresmo appointed Tournament Director at the French Open this year. She beat Nina Bratchikova and Vitalia Diatchenko. "The Sun", "Sun", "Sun Online" are registered trademarks or trade names of News Group Newspapers Limited. 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. 4, Agnieszka Radwaska, in the second round of the Madrid Open. After the Australian Open, Robson did not play again until the start of April. "She does still have the biggest trophy of the family, which is very upsetting," jokes the 20 . US Open chiefs have joined Indian Wells and Miami organisasers by making a public call for Djokovic to be allowed to play in America. Novak Djokovic has enjoyed a sparkling start to 2023, but his first defeat against Daniil Medvedev answered plenty of questions. [109] Robson was granted a wildcard to compete at Wimbledon,[110] but she was defeated in the first round by Evgeniya Rodina.[111]. 1, Caroline Wozniacki, in straight sets. Robson came back after losing the first set to beat Kvitov in a three-hour match, to set up a third-round meeting with Sloane Stephens. At the beginning of her grass-court season, Robson played the $100k event in Surbiton, but lost in the first round to Marina Erakovic. In the second round, she lost to Caroline Wozniacki in straight sets for the second time in a row. 415, Jennifer Elie, but won the doubles title partnering Vania King. Two years later and the British star was becoming a staple on the WTA Tour. 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 Wimbledon organisers and the LTA could be set to reverse the ban on players from Russia and Belarus. Im always around if [players] want to chat about something else, because Wimbledon have a point to get across as well, Robson says. 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. Mary Abena Otoo. Favorite city is New York City because "there is constant action going on, fab shopping and excellent restaurants everywhere.". 2012 - Near-Top 50 season (finishing No.53); runner-up at Guangzhou (l. to Hsieh in final); was first Brit to reach a WTA final since Durie at Newport in 1990 (Watson won Osaka later in fall season); SF at Palermo (l. to Strycova); QF at Osaka; reached 4r once (US Open) and 2r four times (incl. , Tennis Correspondent. Robson, however, received a wildcard into the main draw of the doubles, partnering Sally Peers. She debuted on the ITF Junior Circuit in 2007, and a year later won the Junior Wimbledon championships at the age of 14. Seeded seventh, her first senior seeding, she reached the quarterfinals. 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. At the Japan Open in Osaka, she was seeded eighth, the first time in her career she had been seeded at a WTA tournament. Could I could I be doing this? She followed this with her first victory at the Australian Open with a convincing straight sets victory over Melanie Oudin. 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. Still, if he just looks at the rankings, he's only ATP number 54." Murray's next steps The hip surgery allowed Andy Murray to continue playing tennis, giving a smile to his many fans. 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Novak Djokovic has enjoyed a sparkling start to 2023, but his first defeat against Daniil Medvedev answered plenty of questions. said Croft, speaking to us at a Game4Padel event. After receiving some further surgery on her wrist at the end of 2015, Robson took some more time off from tennis and subsequently missed the Australian Open. Here she made a reasonable effort in her first round but lost to Magdalna Rybrikov who subsequently went on to reach the quarterfinals of the event. [108], After an absence of a year and a half, Robson's first competitive match was at the qualifying draw of the Eastbourne International in June. [71] However, her run came to an end when she lost in the semifinals to Barbora Zhlavov-Strcov in three sets. "I went through every possibility of rehab and of surgery," Robson told the BBC. 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. She attributed the decision to the competing urges of wanting another child while also facing off with the world's best tennis players. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Laura Robson (@laurarobson5) She started off the year playing some American Challenger events, with limited success. [76] She then received a wildcard entry into the mixed doubles with Andy Murray. [44] In the final round, she lost to Eva Hrdinov, after leading 41 in the third set. It feels weird to say out loud, but Im done, Im retired. These cookies allow our website to remember the choices you make (such as your username, your preferred language or where you live) to give you a faster and more personalised experience when browsing. Robson and Watson did not need to play the play-off match against Austria as Anne Keothavong and Elena Baltacha won their singles rubbers, and the 20 lead qualified the team for a place in the World Group-II promotion play-off in April 2012. She lost to 13th seed Jelena Jankovi in the first round. 2011 - Reached 2r three times (incl. Robson was defeated by Germany's Sabine Lisicki but won the mixed doubles against Germany. Australian Open, US Open). Indian Wells sports 96-player singles draws. [14] Bok said later that although Robson "had trouble staying emotionally under control", he "saw right awaya lot of potential in Laura. [93], Robson was seeded 16th at Charleston and reached the second round before losing to Eugenie Bouchard in three sets. MIXED DOUBLES Laura Robson definitely has a future in tennis. These cookies collect anonymised data, such as information about your browser type and version, without collecting any personal data which relates to you. 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. 5 seed, Carla Surez Navarro, in three sets. . 291 as she and Heather Watson led the team to qualify for the World Group-II promotion play-offs. (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. All rights reserved. 1 pairing of Sara Errani and Roberta Vinci, in straight sets in the semifinals, before losing to Nadia Petrova and Katarina Srebotnik. 1 and eventual champion, Serena Williams, in the second round. Olympics); fell 1r seven times (incl. [61] She then won her first match at a Grand Slam tournament as she defeated Angelique Kerber, but lost to Maria Sharapova in the second round.[62]. The fifth seed Li powered 11 aces to beat her 12-year younger opponent, Robson in straight sets. Thats not to disagree with anything that theyre saying, but its very hard in a sport that has seven different governing bodies to get anything through. Read our preview and find out how to watch at home. 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. [68], After a second round showing at the Birmingham Classic (lost to Marina Erakovic), Robson came through qualifying at the Eastbourne International. In August 2009, Robson received also a wildcard into the US Open qualifying. [32], Following her victory at Wimbledon, Robson made her debut on the ITF Women's Circuit at a $10k tournament in Limoges, France. To see all content on The Sun, please use the Site Map. As a top tennis player, Laura Robson surely enjoys the sporting bragging rights in her family. Robson first underwent hip surgery in July 2018, returning to the match. [47], At Indian Wells, Robson lost her first-round match against Sofia Arvidsson in three sets. At the US Open, Robson won her three qualifying matches to advance into the main draw. She reached the second round before losing to Ekaterina Makarova. other three majors) and in qualifying four times; made Top 100 debut on June 25 (after Eastbourne; rose from No.111 to No.97); also won silver medal at Olympics in mixed doubles (w/A.Murray). The pair of a professional tennis player and a professional model had made quite some headlines when they had announced their relationship. 2013 - First Top 50 season (finishing No.46); QF at Guangzhou; reached 4r once (Wimbledon), 3r three times (incl. She lost her opening match to Yaroslava Shvedova of Kazakhstan. [97], Robson started her US Open Series campaign on 30 July 2013 at the Southern California Open in Carlsbad being drawn against Ayumi Morita, whom she beat having come back from a set down in two hours and 40 minutes. Get the latest Player Stats on Laura Robson including her videos, highlights, and more at the official Women's Tennis Association website. After stopping for several shoulder treatments, Robson was eventually beaten in two sets. Her agent Eisenbund stated that she had not suffered a setback, and was "closer and closer" to a return. On 16 May 2022, Robson announced her retirement from tennis, aged 28. 22, Lucie afov, in straight sets, setting up a second round encounter with Maria Sharapova. Laura Robson is still together with her partner, James Yates, as of 2022, with whom she has been dating since 2020. [36][37] She was given another wildcard into the $50k in Barnstaple, but was defeated in three sets in her first round match against the seventh seed Angelique Kerber,[38] who later said that it was "unbelievable how she's playing". [118] At the Australian Open, she also lost in the first round of qualifying to Amandine Hesse, in straight sets. I think Im always going to have the feeling that I could have done more, unfortunately. Dynamic duo Robson and Murray made it all the way to the final but would eventually finish runners-up after losing a nail-biting mixed doubles clash against Spains Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez and Tommy Robredo. In her third tournament back, she made the semifinal losing to Edina Gallovits of the ITF event in Dothan, after having to qualify for the main draw. 1, Ana Ivanovic, in the next round, having led 52 in the final set. One of her strengths was her "dominant" serve. [124] She reached the second round of the Ilkley $100k event before falling to Maryna Zanevska in three sets. In the group stages she played doubles with Heather Watson, defeating pairs from Portugal,[65] Netherlands[66] and Israel in the group stages. Posting pictures of herself smiling in a red polka dot bikini, the Australia-born star wrote: "Me looking at the London forecast. For today's tennis schedule and results visit our tennis live score page. [87] In November, along with Heather Watson, won "Young Sportswoman of the Year" at the 2012 Sunday Times Sportswomen of the Year Awards. It was another fantastic year for Robson representing Great Britain on the international stage. 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. 3 MINUTE READ. But I'm 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.. I havent quite mastered the back wall yet, but it is a very social game. She beat world No. She also played in the doubles, and after reaching the quarterfinals, she reached a career high of No. There are also growing numbers of females in prominent roles in umpiring and administration in tennis, withSandi Procter appointed as LTA President earlier this year and the All England Club that runs the Wimbledon Championships appointingSally Bolton as their chief executive. We use cookies to provide our services and for analytics and marketing. 42, Iveta Beneov. Will be used in accordance with the WTA Privacy Policy and the ATP Privacy Policy. [75] She also competed in the doubles competition with Heather Watson, losing in the first round to the German pairing of Angelique Kerber and Sabine Lisicki. "It feels weird to say out loud, but I'm done, I'm retired. [85] She reached the quarterfinals before losing to Chang Kai-chen in three sets, but the result ensured that she finished the year with a ranking of 53. Robson went on to hold an impressive record for Great Britain in the Fed Cup winning 13 out of 16 rubbers she played. ", [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.". The following season she reached the last 16 at Wimbledon and achieved her highest ranking of 27. [91] After the Australian Open, Robson played six matches in Fed Cup competition that saw Great Britain earn a World Group II play-off spot against Argentina. There are always a lot of smiles on court and it is a great game. 5 and 2002 Wimbledon quarterfinalist, Daniela Hantuchov, in the first round but lost despite being a break up in the second set. Becoming a dominant force on tour, Robson beat Venus Williams, Petra Kvitova and world No.4 Agnieszka Radwaska throughout another brilliant season. With Georgie Stoop she also entered into the doubles tournament, progressing to the second round before losing to 16th seeds, Svetlana Kuznetsova and Amlie Mauresmo. Serena Williams, the owner of 23 Grand Slam singles titles, is retiring from tennis after this summer's U.S. Open. She continued to struggle with form throughout the latter half of the season post-Wimbledon, losing eleven matches and winning just seven on the ITF Circuit, including a loss in the first round of the qualifying draw at the US Open to world No. 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. Taylor Fritz has the game to win Wimbledon. Robson later won her first WTA match since her injury in 2013 by beating Klra Koukalov, 62, 63 in the qualifying of Stuttgart. At the French Open Robson was beaten in the first round by former world No. However, she later lost her next match to Tmea Babos. 1. She lost to top-seed Daria Gavrilova, in straight sets. The 28-year-old was thrust into the spotlight aged 14 when she won the girls title at Wimbledon and she peaked in the top 30 while still a teenager but has been hampered by injury for most of the last decade. A former world No. They defeated Jill Craybas and Abigail Spears to set up a second-round clash with the 12th seeds Chuang Chia-jung and Kvta Peschke, who they beat in straight sets. Immediately after Wimbledon, Robson entered the Palermo Open where she reached her first ever WTA Tour semifinal. [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. [129] In the second round she played former Wimbledon champion, and fellow left-hander, Petra Kvitov. [80] Robson consequently reached the third round of a Grand Slam tournament for the first time in her career and joined Serena Williams, Lindsay Davenport, Venus Williams, Amlie Mauresmo and Justine Henin as one of the only six people to beat Clijsters at the US Open championships, and the first player to beat her there since 2003. I had another hip surgery and probably did the best rehab block of my life I went to all the best specialists and had some incredible people that I was working with just to get me back on court and then the second time I hit, I just knew. Finalist (1): 2012 - Guangzhou. A former world No. In mixed doubles, she won a silver medal at the 2012 London Olympics playing with Andy Murray, with whom she also reached the 2010 Hopman Cup final. 100, Simona Halep. Former British No.1 Laura Robson retires from professional tennis, Tickets for the cinch Championships 2023 are on sale now. Born in Australia, at 18 months relocated to Singapore, moved to UK at age 6 . There is a lot of momentum behind padel now, said Croft, speaking to us at a Game4Padel event. 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. In the first round she shocked second seed Jelena Doki. [46] In the final round of qualifying, she lost to Maria Elena Camerin. Robson then went on to win her first-ever match on the WTA Tour, after her opponent Stefanie Vgele retired during the second set of their first-round match. Finalist (2): 2017 - Nottingham (w/Rae); 2013 - Miami (w/Raymond). Indian Wells sports 96-player singles draws. Former British No 1 Laura Robson has announced her retirement from tennis following three hip operations. [39], Her first match on the WTA Tour was courtesy of a wildcard into the Luxembourg Open. You can control which additional cookies we use in the settings below: We have necessary cookies, which always need to be turned on to help our website function and enable you to use all of our features. At the junior singles at the 2010 Australian Open, Robson was unseeded and defeated Belinda Woolcock, Yulia Putintseva, and Cristina Dinu to reach the quarterfinals. The Rothesay Open Nottingham is one of the many tournaments that make up the LTAs enhanced Performance Competition Calendar, which aims to provide more opportunities for British players to compete more often domestically at a higher level and make progressive ranking improvements. Daniil Medvedev says that Novak Djokovics grass court game is unmatched. The following week, Robson entered the $25k Sunderland qualifying and beat Ellie Tsimbilakis, in straight sets, and Alicia Barnett in the match tiebreaker to qualify for the main draw. Speaking to BBC Sport, the former British number one said: I went through every possibility of rehab and of surgery. Stuart Fraser. She dropped out of the world rankings in early 2015, returning at No. On 21 September, Robson announced that she was to split with her coach Martijn Bok, as Bok was unwilling to meet her more demanding 2011 tour schedule. [55] She also received a wildcard for the Rosmalen Open but was beaten by Dominika Cibulkov in the first round. Robson went under the knife again later that year and for a third time last January and has now admitted defeat in her efforts to continue her tennis career. [92] Following this success, she went on to lose two successive matches, losing to Daniela Hantuchov in Doha and to wildcard Yulia Putintseva in Dubai. Robson also used her protected ranking to enter Premier clay events in Madrid and Rome, where she lost her first round matches to Victoria Azarenka and Christina McHale, respectively. [74] She lost to the Russian world No. She also made her debut for Great Britain in the formerly known Fed Cup becoming Colour Holder No. . 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. In her first match, she defeated Sophie Ferguson of Australia. To find out more about our use of cookies and how you can disable them, please see our Privacy Policy. "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. The 28-year-old was thrust into the spotlight aged 14 when she won the girls' title at Wimbledon and she peaked in the top 30 while still a teenager but has been hampered by injury for most of the last decade. Holding her fianc's hand, the 28-year-old Keys showed her beautiful engagement ring to the world on social media. [130], In spite of this, Robson was not to play again for the rest of the year and announced in December that she had decided to have another operation on her hip. 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. Laura started playing tennis at the age of six with her parents. 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. [16] She was also named the MCC Young Sportswoman of the Year. It will be brilliant to return to Nottingham as Tournament Director for the Rothesay Open. It would have been weird to not be officially retired and play in that. [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. What I would say is that as a sport, it is a lot easier to pick up. Later in the day she won the mixed-doubles match against Kazakhstan, partnering with Murray to secure a win. 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. Due to her focusing on her senior career, Robson entered the US Open unseeded. They were drawn against Czech pair Lucie Hradeck and Radek tpnek in the first round and won in three sets. withdrawing from Australian Open and Roland Garros); returned during grass court season and played four WTA events rest of year - fell 1r twice (Wimbledon and US Open) and in qualifying twice; also played on ITF Circuit. [86], In October, Robson was nominated for the Sports Journalists' Association Sportswoman of the Year. After taking three-months rest from the tour, Robson underwent surgery on her left wrist in April. US Open). As a junior, she also twice reached the final of the girls' singles tournament at the Australian Open, in 2009 and 2010. This week Robson went out in the first round, but her performance in a 6-7, 6-4, 6-2 defeat by Germany's Angelique Kerber was arguably her best yet. Obviously the pros that play will be on a different level, but I really enjoy playing.. The formation of the Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA), which announced its eight-player committee and 1100-word manifesto on the eve of the Australian Open, will see the established powers of tennis challenged, especially on topics like prize money, and Robson says she is determined to act as a bridge between executives and players. 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. In July 2015, she played at the $50k event in Granby and won a tough three-set match over second seed Naomi Osaka. To start the Canadian Open in Toronto, Robson was due to play Yanina Wickmayer on 5 August 2013 in her opening match, but had to pull out due to a wrist injury. The 5-foot-7 inch won her first tournament on the ITF Women's Circuit in November 2008. Eurosport expert Laura Robson has paid tribute to the British players after what was a "phenomenal Australian Open" with Alfie Hewett clinching a double triumph in the wheelchair singles and doubles. She had put on a promising display against Azarenka, but was unable to convert 8 out of nine breakpoints, allowing Azarenka to clinch victory in straight sets. She made her return to WTA events by using her protected ranking to enter Indian Wells. . . 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. 3 in a tightly contested match. November 17, 2022 Former British No 1 Laura Robson has taken the next step in her tennis journey after accepting the role as Tournament Director at next year's Rothesay Open in Nottingham.