Laura Robson

Laura Robson

Laura Robson in 2015
Full name Laura Robson
Country (sports)  Great Britain
Residence London, United Kingdom
Born (1994-01-21) 21 January 1994
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Height 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)[1]
Turned pro 2008
Plays Left-handed (two-handed backhand)
Coach(es) Martijn Bok (?–2010)
Patrick Mouratoglou (2011)[2]
Luke Milligan (2011–2012)
Željko Krajan (2012–2013)[3]
Miles Maclagan (2013)[4]
Nick Saviano (2013)[5]
Jesse Witten (2013)[5]
Mauricio Hadad (2014–)[6]
Prize money $1,314,040
Singles
Career record 122–109
Career titles 0 WTA, 1 ITF
Highest ranking No. 27 (8 July 2013)
Current ranking No. 339 (2 May 2016)[7]
Grand Slam Singles results
Australian Open 3R (2013)
French Open 1R (2012, 2013)
Wimbledon 4R (2013)
US Open 4R (2012)
Other tournaments
Olympic Games 2R (2012)
Doubles
Career record 30–39
Career titles 0
Highest ranking No. 82 (17 March 2014)
Current ranking No. 302 (2 May 2016)[7]
Grand Slam Doubles results
Australian Open QF (2010)
Wimbledon 2R (2009, 2013)
US Open 2R (2015)
Grand Slam Mixed Doubles results
Wimbledon 3R (2012)
Other mixed doubles tournaments
Olympic Games Silver Medal (2012)
Team competitions
Fed Cup 9–3
Hopman Cup F (2010)
Last updated on: 2 May 2016.

Laura Robson (born 21 January 1994) is a British tennis player. She debuted on the International Tennis Federation (ITF) junior tour in 2007, and a year later won the Wimbledon Junior Girls' Championship at the age of 14. As a junior, she also twice reached the final of the girls' singles tournament at the Australian Open, in 2009 and 2010. She won her first professional tournament in November 2008.

Robson reached a career high singles ranking of world number 27 on 8 July 2013. She dropped out of the world rankings in early 2015 after a wrist injury picked up early in the 2014 season caused a prolonged absence from the WTA tour, but returned at 906 in July 2015, and is currently ranked at 465. She has a career high doubles ranking of number 82 and is currently ranked 305.[1] She won a silver medal in the mixed doubles at the 2012 London Olympics playing with Andy Murray, with whom she also reached the 2010 Hopman Cup final.

Robson has appeared at least once in the main draw of every Grand Slam tournament. She was the first British woman since Samantha Smith at Wimbledon in 1998 to reach the fourth round of a major tournament, having done so at the 2012 US Open and the 2013 Wimbledon Championships. At the 2012 Guangzhou Women's Open, Robson became the first British woman since Jo Durie in 1990 to reach a WTA main-tour final. She was named WTA Newcomer of the Year for 2012.

Early life and junior career

Robson was born on 21 January 1994 in Melbourne, Australia, the third child of Australian parents Andrew, an oil executive with Royal Dutch Shell,[8] and Kathy Robson, a sports coach and former professional basketball player.[9] Robson and her family moved from Melbourne to Singapore when she was 18 months old, and then to the United Kingdom when she was six.[10]

According to her parents, she began playing tennis "as soon as she could hold a tennis racquet",[11] and after being encouraged by them, she entered a junior tennis academy at age seven.[12] She signed with management company Octagon when she was 10,[13] with Adidas at age 11,[14] and also signed a racquet deal with Wilson Sporting Goods.[13]

After working with several coaches, including the head of the Lawn Tennis Association Carl Maes, she chose coach Martijn Bok in 2007.[12] Bok said later that although Robson "had trouble staying emotionally under control", he "saw right away...a lot of potential in Laura."[12] Robson also began training at the National Tennis Centre,[11] under the guidance of Bok, Maes, and the head of women's tennis at the centre, Nigel Sears,[12] while taking school lessons at home.[8]

Robson's first tournament on the junior ITF tour was in May 2007, where she went from the qualifying draw of the tournament to the quarterfinals.[15] She reached the final of two other tournaments in 2007, and won her first tournament in October.[15] In the first half of 2008, Robson reached the finals of three tournaments, but was also eliminated before the third round in three straight tournaments.[15]

Robson on her way to winning the girls' title at Wimbledon

Robson competed in her first junior grand slam at the Wimbledon girls' event, as an unseeded player.[16] As the youngest player in the tournament,[17] she beat first seed Melanie Oudin[18] on her way to the finals, where she defeated third seed Noppawan Lertcheewakarn.[17] 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,[19] and the "Queen of Wimbledon".[20]

After a brief period on the main tour, Robson returned to junior competition but was knocked out in the second round of a tournament in December.[15] In the same month she played her final junior tournament of 2008, the Orange Bowl, where she had to retire in the third round with a stomach strain.[21] At the end of the year, she was shortlisted for the BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year,[22] but lost out to Paralympic swimmer Eleanor Simmonds.[23]

After recovering from her injury, Robson entered the 2009 Australian Open junior tournament, where she was seeded fifth. In the semifinals she faced a replay of her Wimbledon final, against top seed Noppawan Lertcheewakarn,[24] whom she beat in straight sets to reach her second Grand Slam junior final. Facing third seed Ksenia Pervak from Russia,[25] Robson was defeated in straight sets. She later attributed her loss to Pervak's greater consistency,[26] and her coach Bok said that "everybody has to be patient".[14] After the tournament, Robson started to train with Gil Reyes, the former trainer of Andre Agassi.[14] She was also named the MCC Young Sportswoman of the Year.[27] She claimed the top ranking of ITF junior tour in April, despite not playing for two months because of shin splints.[28]

Robson on her way to her second junior slam final at the 2009 Australian Open; she repeated the trip a year later

At the 2009 French Open Robson was the top seed in the junior's competition, but was defeated in round two by Sandra Zaniewska. Robson was the defending champion at 2009 Wimbledon Championships, but she fell in the second round to Quirine Lemoine.

Due to her focusing on her Senior career, Robson entered the 2009 US Open unseeded. In the first round, she beat Ons Jabeur of Tunisia. She then faced the 7th seed Lauren Embree of the United States and beat her in three sets. She went on to face the 12th seed, Tamaryn Hendler, who she defeated in straight sets. Robson then beat Lauren Davis in the quarterfinals. In her semifinal, she faced Yana Buchina of Russia. Due to rain delay, both quarter- and semifinals were played on the same day. Therefore, the semifinal followed the quarterfinal match. Despite starting strongly, Robson tired, losing the match in three sets.

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. In the last eight she easily overcame American Ester Goldfeld to move through to her fourth Junior Grand Slam semi-final where she defeated Kristýna Plíšková of the Czech Republic. She was defeated by Kristýna's twin sister Karolína Plíšková in the final.[29] In the 2010 Wimbledon junior singles she reached the semifinals, losing to Sachie Ishizu of Japan.[30]

Professional career

2008

Following her victory at Wimbledon, Robson made her debut on the ITF senior tour at a $10,000 tournament in Limoges, France.[31] She won two matches to qualify for the main draw of the tournament, as well as her first round match, before having to retire with a shoulder injury in the second round against the second seed, Marina Melnikova.[32]

Robson was then given a wildcard into the main draw of the $75,000 ITF in Shrewsbury.[33] After beating 2007 Wimbledon girls singles champion Urszula Radwańska and fourth seed Tzipi Obziler,[32] Robson lost to second seed Maret Ani in three sets in the semifinals.[34][35] She was given another wildcard into the $50,000 tournament in Barnstaple, but was defeated in three sets in her first round match against the seventh seed Angelique Kerber,[36] who later said that it was "unbelievable how she's playing".[37]

Her first match on the WTA tour was courtesy of a wildcard into the 2008 Fortis Championships in Luxembourg City. She was drawn in the first round against world number 42, Iveta Benešová, but lost.[36] Returning to the ITF circuit, Robson entered as the fifth seed in the $10,000 event held in Sunderland.[38] After beating third seed Laura-Ioana Andrei in the quarterfinals, she beat fellow Britons Tara Moore and Samantha Vickers in straight sets to win her first ITF title at the age of 14 years and 9 months.[38][39]

2009

Robson returned to the junior tour for the first half of 2009. On 9 June, Wimbledon announced that Robson received a wildcard for the Ladies' Singles event at the 2009 Wimbledon Championships.[40] She faced former World No. 5 and 2002 Wimbledon quarterfinalist Daniela Hantuchová in the first round but lost despite being a break up in the second set. She also entered into the doubles tournament with Georgie Stoop, progressing to the second round before losing to sixteenth seeds Svetlana Kuznetsova and Amélie Mauresmo. As well as Wimbledon, she competed in two ITF tournaments, one via a wildcard and the second via qualification, but lost in the first round of each.

In August 2009, Robson received a wild card into the 2009 US Open qualifying tournament. She defeated Stéphanie Foretz of France in the first round in straight sets,[41] and went on to beat Anikó Kapros of Hungary.[42] In the final round, she lost to Eva Hrdinová, after leading 4–1 in the third set.[43]

On 17 October, Robson entered the qualifying draw at the Luxembourg Open. In the first round of qualifying she defeated world number 180 Zuzana Ondrášková. In the second round of qualifying she defeated Julia Görges, the world number 79.[44] In the final round of qualifying she lost to Maria Elena Camerin.[45] On 10 November, Robson beat Yuliya Beygelzimer in the first round of the Minsk ITF competition.[46] She defeated Tetyana Arefyeva in the second round[47] but was defeated in the quarter-finals by Vitalia Diatchenko.[48]

2010

Robson during the 2010 Hopman Cup

Robson began 2010 playing with Andy Murray in the Hopman Cup, as part of Great Britain's first team in the tournament since 1992. She lost her opening match to Yaroslava Shvedova of Kazakhstan. Later in the day she won the mixed doubles match against Kazakhstan, partnering with Murray to secure a win. Robson was defeated by Germany's Sabine Lisicki but won the mixed doubles against Germany. Robson and Murray defeated Russia to advance to the finals. Despite her first win of the tournament against world no. 26 María José Martínez Sánchez of Spain, Robson and Murray lost to Spain's Martínez Sánchez and Tommy Robredo in a very close match.[49]

Robson was granted a wild card in the qualifying draw for the women's singles of the Australian Open. In her first match, she defeated Sophie Ferguson of Australia.[50] In her second match she lost to Michaëlla Krajicek of the Netherlands. Robson, however, received a Wildcard into the main draw of the doubles, partnering Sally Peers. They defeated Craybas and Spears to set up a second round clash with the twelfth seeds Chuang Chia-jung and Květa Peschke, who they beat in straight sets. Peers and Robson won their third round clash with Vera Dushevina of Russia and Anastasia Rodionova of Australia to advance to the quarter-finals, before falling to the number 15 seeds, Maria Kirilenko and Agnieszka Radwańska.[51]

After the Australian Open Robson did not play again until the start of April. In her third tournament back Robson made the semi-final, losing to Edina Gallovits of the ITF event in Dothan after having to qualify for the main draw. Robson also played in the doubles and after reaching the quarterfinals she reached a career high of 102 for doubles.[52] She followed this up with a quarterfinal appearance in Charlottesville losing to Anastasiya Yakimova.

She then qualified for the main draw of the Aegon Classic in Edgbaston after receiving a wildcard in qualification. She beat Nina Bratchikova and Vitalia Diatchenko. Robson then went on to win her first ever match on the WTA tour after her opponent Stefanie Vögele retired during the second set of their first round match. She lost to the third seed Yanina Wickmayer in the second round.[53] She also received a wildcard for the UNICEF Open at Rosmalen but was beaten by Slovakian Dominika Cibulková in the first round.

She received a wild card for Wimbledon, and faced fourth seed Jelena Janković[54] to whom she lost in two sets.[55] Robson's next senior level competition was an Aegon GB Pro-Series event at Woking. Seeded seventh, her first senior seeding, she reached the quarter-finals.[56] Robson's next competitive match did not come till the end of August 2010, when she entered the qualifying tournament for the 2010 US Open. In the first round she shocked second seed Jelena Dokić. She beat Vesna Manasieva, but lost in the third round to Nuria Llagostera Vives.

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.

Robson next competed in the Toray Pan Pacific Open. She beat world number 57 Anastasija Sevastova in the first round of qualifying and reached the main draw by beating world number 100 Simona Halep. She was defeated in the first round of the main draw by the experienced 31-year-old player Gréta Arn.

2011

For 2011 Robson hired a new coach, Frenchman Patrick Mouratoglou, and moved her working base to Paris.[57] Her season was disrupted by injury at the 2011 Hopman Cup[58] 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. Returning again at the end of April 2011, Robson's best performance to date came at the $50,000 tournament at Indian Harbor Beach, Florida, where she reached the semifinal. Robson split from Mouratoglou just before Wimbledon.[59] Robson then won her first match at a Grand Slam as she defeated Angelique Kerber, but lost to Maria Sharapova in the second round.[60]

At the US Open, Robson won her three qualifying matches to advance into the main draw.[61] In the first round of the main draw, she was leading when her opponent, Ayumi Morita, retired from the match.[62] She was then beaten by Anabel Medina Garrigues.

2012: First WTA final

Laura Robson at the 2012 Open GDF Suez de Cagnes-sur-Mer Alpes-Maritimes

Robson came through three rounds of qualifying at the 2012 Australian Open, beating Melanie Oudin, Anna Floris and Olga Savchuk to advance to the main draw for the first time. She lost to 13th seed Jelena Janković in the first round.

Robson was selected for the first time in her career to be a member of the GB Fed Cup Team to play in the Europe/Africa Group 1 match at Eilat, Israel, on 1–4 February 2012. In the group stages she played doubles with Heather Watson, defeating pairs from Portugal,[63] Netherlands[64] and Israel in the group stages. 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 2–0 lead qualified the team for a place in the World Group II promotion play-off in April 2012.[65]

Robson lost in the third round of qualifying for the 2012 French Open at Roland Garros. However she got a place in the first round of the main draw as a lucky loser when Sílvia Soler Espinosa withdrew, but then lost her first round match to clay-court specialist Anabel Medina Garrigues.[66]

After a second round showing at the Aegon Classic in Birmingham (lost to Marina Erakovic), Robson came through qualifying at the 2012 Aegon International. She reached the second round before losing to Ekaterina Makarova. However, the result helped Robson break into the top 100 for the first time in her career. In the first round of Wimbledon, Robson lost to Francesca Schiavone in three sets.[67]

Immediately after Wimbledon, Robson entered the XXV Italiacom Open in Palermo where she reached her first ever WTA semifinal. After beating the world number 240 Valentyna Ivakhnenko for the loss of just one game in the first round, she shocked the number 2 seed and world number 27, Roberta Vinci in straight sets to reach her first ever WTA quarter final.[68] She continued her good form in the quarter final, where she emerged victorious against the world number 41 and number 5 seed Carla Suárez Navarro in three sets.[69] However, her run came to an end when she lost in the semi finals to Barbora Záhlavová-Strýcová in three sets.[70] Robson then received a wild card to enter the main draw of the 2012 Swedish Open but lost her first match against Anabel Medina Garrigues.

With Andy Murray in the mixed doubles at the 2012 Summer Olympics, Wimbledon, London. The pair won a silver medal.

She received a late place into the women's singles at the 2012 Olympics due to the withdrawal of Croatian Petra Martić.[71] In her first round match, she beat the world number 22 Lucie Šafářová in straight sets, setting up a second round encounter with Maria Sharapova.[72] She lost to the Russian world number 3 in a tightly contested match.[73] 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.[74] She then received a wildcard entry into the mixed doubles with Andy Murray. They were drawn against Czech pair Lucie Hradecká and Radek Štěpánek in the first round and won in three sets. In the second round the pair beat the Australian duo of Lleyton Hewitt and Samantha Stosur,[75] and reached the final by beating Germans Sabine Lisicki and Christopher Kas,[76] where they were beaten by the Belarusian pair Victoria Azarenka and Max Mirnyi.[77]

Robson had direct entry to the main draw of the 2012 US Open from her WTA ranking, where she defeated Samantha Crawford in the first round. In the second round she defeated former US Open Champion Kim Clijsters in Clijsters' final singles match before her retirement.[78] 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, Amélie 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. She followed up her performance with her first victory over a top ten player, beating 9th seed Li Na in the third round in three sets.[79] 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.

Robson's next appearance was at the 2012 Guangzhou Open where she beat the then world number 22 Zheng Jie and the number three seed Sorana Cîrstea on the way to her first WTA tour final against Hsieh Su-wei. This was the first WTA singles final for any British woman since Jo Durie in 1990.[80] Robson was eventually defeated having saved five championship points in the second set and despite taking a 3–0 lead in the third set.[81] The result pushed her ranking inside the top 70 for the first time.[82]

Robson qualified for the China Open and reached the second round but she lost to Lourdes Domínguez Lino in straight sets. At the HP Open in Japan, she was seeded 8th, the first time in her career she had been seeded at a WTA tournament.[83] She reached the quarter-finals before losing to Chang Kai-chen in three sets, but the result ensured that she finished the year with a ranking of 53.[84]

In October, Robson was nominated for the Sports Journalists' Association Sportswoman of the Year.[85] In November, along with Heather Watson, won "Young Sportswoman of the Year" at the 2012 Sunday Times Sportswomen of the Year Awards.[86] Robson was also nominated for WTA "Newcomer of the Year" and William Hill "Sportswoman of the Year" in November,[87] winning the former award.[88]

2013: Career-high ranking

Laura Robson at the 2013 Australian Open

At the start of the year Robson had reached the top 50 for the first time in her career. She followed this with her first victory at the 2013 Australian Open with a convincing straight sets victory over Melanie Oudin. In the second round she played former Wimbledon champion, and fellow left-hander, Petra Kvitová. Robson came back after losing the first set to beat Kvitová in a three-hour match, to set up a third-round meeting with Sloane Stephens. After stopping for several shoulder treatments, Robson was eventually beaten in two sets.[89] 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.[90] Following this success she went on to lose two successive matches, losing to Daniela Hantuchová in Doha and to wildcard Yulia Putintseva in Dubai.[45]

At Indian Wells Robson lost her first round match against Sofia Arvidsson in three sets. Her next tournament was at Miami. In the singles Robson reached the second round before losing to Alizé Cornet. In the Doubles Laura Robson was given a wildcard to play with Lisa Raymond. The pair reached the final, beating the World No. 1 pairing of Sara Errani and Roberta Vinci in straight sets in the semifinals, before losing to Nadia Petrova and Katarina Srebotnik.[91]

Robson was seeded 16th at Charleston and reached the second round before losing to Eugenie Bouchard in three sets. At the BNP Paribas Katowice Open Robson was seeded 8th, but lost in the first round to Lourdes Domínguez Lino.[45]

Robson represented Great Britain in the Fed Cup World Group Two play-off against Argentina. After Johanna Konta lost her opening rubber to Paula Ormaechea, Robson easily won her first match over Florencia Molinero. Robson lost her second match against Paula Ormaechea in three sets.[92]

After several first round defeats at the start to the European clay court season, Robson defeated world number 4 Agnieszka Radwańska in the second round of the 2013 Mutua Madrid Open.[93] She subsequently lost to former World No. 1 Ana Ivanovic in the next round, having led 5–2 in the final set.[94] Robson then made her debut at the Italian Open where she defeated Venus Williams in the first round but subsequently lost to her sister, World No. 1 and eventual champion Serena Williams in the second round. At the French Open Robson was beaten in the first round by former world number one Caroline Wozniacki in straight sets.

To begin the grass court season, Robson entered the Aegon Classic tournament in Birmingham where she was seeded 7th. Despite the seeding, she lost in straight sets to the eventual champion Daniela Hantuchová. She then participated in the 2013 Aegon International tournament (i.e. Eastbourne). In the first round, she faced Yuliya Beygelzimer in which she won in straight sets. In the second round, she lost to Caroline Wozniacki in straight sets for the second time in a row.

In the first round of Wimbledon she was drawn against the number 10 seed Maria Kirilenko, whom she beat in straight sets. She beat World No. 117, Mariana Duque, in the second round on Centre Court. 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. Her performance pushed her up to 27 in the world, the first Briton in the top 30 since Jo Durie in 1987.[95]

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.[96] Laura moved into the 2nd round faced with the World No. 7 Petra Kvitová from Czech Republic but lost in straight sets putting an end to her Southern California Open.[97]

To start the Canadian Open in Toronto, Robson was due to play Yanina Wickmayer from Belgium on 5 August 2013 in her opening match but had to pull out due to a wrist injury.[98] The same injury also led to her pulling out of the tournament in Cincinnati, however her ranking of number 32 meant that she would be seeded at a Grand Slam tournament for the first time in her career, entering the US Open as the 30th seed.

At the US Open, Robson returned after intensive rehab on her wrist injury and began her campaign against Spain's Lourdes Domínguez Lino, whom Robson had lost to twice previously. After winning a scrappy first set, Robson powered through the second at love.[99] In the second round, Robson faced world number 75 Caroline Garcia of France, and won in two tight sets.[100] Robson then fell in straight sets in the next round to Li Na in the same place they had played last year, where Robson had won. The fifth seed Li powered 11 aces to beat her 12-year younger opponent, Robson in straight sets.[101] After a break of around three weeks, Robson returned to action at the Guangzhou Open, a tournament in which she was a finalist the previous year. She started strongly, with straight sets wins over qualifier Jovana Jakšić in the first round, and Zheng Saisai of China in the second round. She subsequently lost to another Chinese player in Zheng Jie, despite taking the first set 6–1.

In October 2013, it was announced that Miles Maclagan's coaching partnership with Laura had ended and that she would be taking a couple of weeks out and starting the search for a new coach.

2014–15: Wrist injury, return to tennis

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. Her wrist continued to affect her at the Australian Open, where Kirsten Flipkens defeated her in straight sets. After taking three-months rest from the tour, Robson underwent surgery on her left wrist in April.[102] The surgery forced her to miss the French Open, Wimbledon and the US Open, and although Robson initially hoped to be playing by the end of the season,[103] she only started training in October, and did not play again in 2014.

Robson did not enter the Australian Open in 2015 and subsequently left the WTA rankings, having not competed for 12 months.[104] Robson planned to return at the $25,000 ITF tournament at Surprise, Arizona, but delayed her return and did not enter another ITF event in February.[105] She declined a wildcard into the qualifying event of the Miami Masters in March. Her agent Eisenbund stated that she had not suffered a setback, and was "closer and closer" to a return.[106]

After an absence of a year and a half, Robson's first competitive match was at the qualifying draw of the 2015 Aegon International in Eastbourne in June. She lost to top seed Daria Gavrilova in straight sets.[107] Robson was granted a wildcard to compete at Wimbledon,[108] but she was defeated in the first round by Evgeniya Rodina.[109]

In July 2015 she played at a $50,000 ITF event in Granby and won a tough three-set match over second seed Naomi Osaka. However, she lost her next match to American qualifier Ellie Halbauer. Robson also reached the final in doubles partnering Erin Routliffe. In Gatineau, she retired from her first round match, generating fear that her wrist injury had returned, but Robson said that she had been hampered by a stomach strain she had suffered during practice.

Playing style

Robson plays left-handed,[110] with a two-handed backhand. One of her strengths is her "dominant" serve.[110] She has a strong game from the back of the court and is also noted for having an aggressive forehand return. However, she has been criticised for having "poor lateral movement",[111] as well as an inconsistent second serve, resulting in a considerable number of double faults.[112] She has been praised for showing "extraordinary poise",[111] and having "the attitude and technique required of a leading player".[113] Commentator Simon Reed said that she "has every tool she needs",[114] and former Grand Slam champion Pat Cash called her "a special talent" who "seems to have all the attributes to progress".[115] Current WTA player Ana Ivanovic said that Robson "hits the ball really, really hard",[36] former top British player Samantha Smith said that "she doesn't have any weaknesses at all",[20] and Serena Williams stated that Robson is an "all-around good player".[116] Robson's favourite surface to play on is grass and her favourite shot is her forehand down the line.[117]

Career statistics

Olympic Games: 1 (0–1)

Mixed doubles: 1 (0–1)

Outcome Year Championship Surface Partner Opponents Score
Runner-up2012 London Olympics Grass United Kingdom Andy Murray Belarus Victoria Azarenka
Belarus Max Mirnyi		 6–2, 3–6, [8–10]

Performance timelines

Key
W  F  SF QF R# RR Q# A P Z# PO G F-S SF-B NMS NH
(W) Won tournament; reached (F) final, (SF) semifinal, (QF) quarterfinal; (R#) rounds 4, 3, 2, 1; competed at a (RR) round-robin stage; reached a (Q#) qualification round; (A) absent from tournament; played in a (Z#) Davis/Fed Cup Zonal Group (with number indication) or (PO) play-off; won a (G) gold, (F-S) silver or (SF-B) bronze Olympic medal; a (NMS) downgraded Masters Series/1000 tournament; or (NH) tournament not held.
To avoid confusion and double counting, these charts are updated either at the conclusion of a tournament, or when the player's participation in the tournament has ended.

Women's singles

Tournament20092010201120122013201420152016W–LWin %
Grand Slam tournaments
Australian Open A Q2 A 1R 3R 1R A A 2–3 40%
French Open A A A 1R 1R A A 0–2 0%
Wimbledon 1R 1R 2R 1R 4R A 1R 4–6 40%
US Open Q3 Q3 2R 4R 3R A 1R 6–4 60%
Win–Loss 0–1 0–1 2–2 3–4 7–4 0–1 0–2 0–0 12–15 44%
Olympic Games
Summer Olympics Not Held 2R NH 1–1 50%
Year-End Championships
WTA Tour Championships Did Not Qualify 0–0 0%
WTA Premier Mandatory tournaments
Indian Wells A A A Q1 1R A A 1R 0–2 0%
Miami A A A Q2 2R A A 1R 1–2 33%
Madrid A A A A 3R A A 1R 2–2 50%
Beijing A A 1R 2R 2R A A 2–3 40%
WTA Premier 5 tournaments
Doha / Dubai A A A Q1 1R A A A 0–1 0%
Rome A A A A 2R A A 1–1 50%
Canada A A A A A A A 0–0 0%
Cincinnati A A Q1 Q2 A A A 0–0 0%
Wuhan Not Held A A 0–0 0%
Career Statistics
Titles 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Finals Reached 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1
Year-End Ranking 419 206 131 53 46 951 558

Junior Grand Slam finals: 3 (1–2)

OutcomeNo.DateTournamentSurfaceOpponentScore
Winner 1 3 July 2008 2008 Wimbledon Grass Thailand Noppawan Lertcheewakarn 6–3, 3–6, 6–1
Runner-up 2 31 January 2009 2009 Australian Open Hard Russia Ksenia Pervak 3–6, 1–6
Runner-up 3 30 January 2010 2010 Australian Open Hard Czech Republic Karolína Plíšková 1–6, 6–7(5–7)

Junior Singles

Tournament200820092010
Jr. Grand Slam Tournaments
Australian Open A F F
French Open A 2R A
Wimbledon W 3R SF
US Open A SF 3R
Key
W  F  SF QF R# RR Q# A P Z# PO G F-S SF-B NMS NH
(W) Won tournament; reached (F) final, (SF) semifinal, (QF) quarterfinal; (R#) rounds 4, 3, 2, 1; competed at a (RR) round-robin stage; reached a (Q#) qualification round; (A) absent from tournament; played in a (Z#) Davis/Fed Cup Zonal Group (with number indication) or (PO) play-off; won a (G) gold, (F-S) silver or (SF-B) bronze Olympic medal; a (NMS) downgraded Masters Series/1000 tournament; or (NH) tournament not held.
To avoid confusion and double counting, these charts are updated either at the conclusion of a tournament, or when the player's participation in the tournament has ended.

References

  1. 1 2 Laura Robson at the Women's Tennis Association
  2. ↑ "BBC Sport – Laura Robson parts with coach Patrick Mouratoglou". BBC Sport.
  3. ↑ "BBC Sport – Laura Robson splits from coach Zeljko Krajan after nine months". BBC Sport.
  4. ↑ Piers Newbery. "BBC Sport – Laura Robson: Miles Maclagan to work with British number one". BBC Sport.
  5. 1 2 "Laura Robson swaps coach again and opts for experience with Colombian Mauricio Hadad". Telegraph.co.uk. 6 March 2014.
  6. ↑ Russell Fuller. "BBC Sport – Laura Robson adds Mauricio Hadad to her coaching team". BBC Sport.
  7. 1 2 "Laura Robson: WTA Rankings". WTA.
  8. 1 2 "Things you didn't know about Laura Robson, the girl who became a star". The Times. 6 July 2008. Retrieved 7 July 2008.
  9. ↑ Addley, Esther (5 July 2008). "Never mind Murray. Look out for Laura". The Guardian. Retrieved 5 July 2008.
  10. ↑ Bevan, Chris (3 July 2008). "Robson flies flag for Britain". BBC Sport. Retrieved 4 July 2008.
  11. 1 2 "Laura Robson: The new darling of British tennis". The Sunday Telegraph. 30 January 2009. Retrieved 6 February 2009.
  12. 1 2 3 4 Harman, Neil (7 July 2008). "Newcastle owner could be key to Laura Robson future". The Times. Retrieved 7 February 2009.
  13. 1 2 Bierley, Steve (30 January 2009). "Grounded Robson benefits from support as second major final beckons". The Guardian. Retrieved 10 February 2009.
  14. 1 2 3 Flatman, Barry (1 February 2009). "Laura Robson needs to toughen up". The Times. Retrieved 6 February 2009.
  15. 1 2 3 4 "Juniors – Player Activity: Laura Robson". International Tennis Federation. Archived from the original on 2 March 2009. Retrieved 8 March 2009.
  16. ↑ "Draws – Girls' Singles". wimbledon.org. Retrieved 5 February 2009.
  17. 1 2 Newbery, Piers (5 July 2008). "Briton Robson wins girls' title". BBC Sport. Retrieved 8 March 2009.
  18. ↑ Harman, Neil (4 July 2008). "Spice girl Laura Robson moves into Wimbledon semifinal". The Times.
  19. ↑ Watterson, Johnny (9 July 2008). "Reality will soon dawn for rising star". The Irish Times. Retrieved 5 February 2009.
  20. 1 2 Cheese, Caroline; Birch, Paul (7 July 2008). "What now for Laura Robson?". BBC Sport. Retrieved 5 February 2009.
  21. ↑ Hodgkinson, Mark (20 December 2008). "Laura Robson is a doubt for Australian Open". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 8 March 2009.
  22. ↑ "Young Sports Personality: The top three". BBC Sport. 28 November 2008. Retrieved 18 February 2009.
  23. ↑ "Sports Personality 2008". BBC Sport. 14 December 2008. Retrieved 18 February 2009.
  24. ↑ "Australian Open 2009 Draws – Girls' Singles". australianopen.com. Retrieved 8 March 2009.
  25. ↑ "Robson reaches Aussie Open final". BBC Sport. 30 January 2009. Retrieved 8 March 2009.
  26. ↑ "Pervak downs Robson in girls' singles decider". australianopen.com. Archived from the original on 13 November 2010. Retrieved 8 March 2009.
  27. ↑ Maul, Rob (15 February 2009). "School comes first for our young stars". The Times (UK). Retrieved 15 February 2009.
  28. ↑ Harman, Neil (2 April 2009). "Andy Murray backs Laura Robson to handle growing pains". The Times (UK). Retrieved 7 April 2009.
  29. ↑ "Robson loses Aussie girls' final". BBC News. 30 January 2010. Retrieved 7 May 2010.
  30. ↑ "Wimbledon 2010: Laura Robson suffers semi-final defeat". The Daily Telegraph. 2 July 2010. Retrieved 13 July 2013.
  31. ↑ "$10,000 Limoges 2008". International Tennis Federation. Archived from the original on 5 June 2011. Retrieved 8 March 2009.
  32. 1 2 "Robson safely into LTA semi-final". BBC Sport. 26 September 2008. Retrieved 3 February 2009.
  33. ↑ "Robson makes winning return". Sporting Life. Archived from the original on 29 June 2011. Retrieved 8 March 2009.
  34. ↑ "$75,000 Shrewsbury 2008". International Tennis Federation. Archived from the original on 5 June 2011. Retrieved 8 March 2009.
  35. ↑ Hodgkinson, Mark (27 September 2008). "Girls junior Wimbledon champion Laura Robson suffers semi-final loss in Shrewsbury". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 8 March 2009.
  36. 1 2 3 "Robson handed Luxembourg wildcard". BBC Sport. 9 October 2008. Retrieved 9 October 2008.
  37. ↑ Newman, Paul (9 October 2008). "Robson secures rankings reward". The Independent. Retrieved 5 February 2009.
  38. 1 2 "$10,000 Sunderland Drawsheet". International Tennis Federation. Archived from the original on 5 June 2011.
  39. ↑ Hodgkinson, Mark (9 November 2008). "Laura Robson enjoys her maiden senior title". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 8 March 2009.
  40. ↑ "Robson handed wildcard". Sky Sports. 9 June 2009. Retrieved 13 July 2013.
  41. ↑ "Robson creates shock at US Open". BBC Sport. 26 August 2009. Retrieved 31 August 2009.
  42. ↑ "Robson close to US Open qualification". The Independent (UK). 28 August 2009. Retrieved 31 August 2009.
  43. ↑ "Defeat ends Robson's US Open bid". BBC Sport. 29 August 2009. Retrieved 31 August 2009.
  44. ↑ Newman, Paul (19 October 2009). "Davydenko masters dogged Nadal". The Independent. Retrieved 10 November 2009.
  45. 1 2 3 "Laura Robson Results". Women's Tennis Association. Retrieved 8 July 2013.
  46. ↑ "Robson wins in Minsk". Teletext. 10 November 2009. Archived from the original on 15 November 2009. Retrieved 10 November 2009.
  47. ↑ "ITF Tennis – Pro Circuit – Player Profile – AREFYEVA, Tetyana (UKR)". International Tennis Federation. Retrieved 13 July 2013.
  48. ↑ "Robson knocked out in Minsk". Teletext. 13 November 2009. Archived from the original on 16 November 2009. Retrieved 13 November 2009.
  49. ↑ "Andy Murray and Laura Robson beaten in Hopman Cup final". BBC Sport. 9 January 2010. Retrieved 9 January 2010.
  50. ↑ Draws – Women's Qualifying Singles – Australian Open Tennis Championships 2011 – The Grand Slam of Asia/Pacific – Official Site by IBM. Australianopen.com (30 January 2011). Retrieved 14 June 2011.
  51. ↑ "Teenager Robson beaten in doubles". BBC News. 27 January 2010. Retrieved 7 May 2010.
  52. ↑ "Robson climbs to career high ranking". Lawn Tennis Association. 26 April 2010. Retrieved 8 May 2010.
  53. ↑ "Laura Robson wins Aegon Classic opener in Birmingham". BBC News. 7 June 2010. Retrieved 8 June 2010.
  54. ↑ Cambers, Simon (18 June 2010). "Laura Robson eyes Wimbledon upset after draw pits her against Jankovic". The Guardian.
  55. ↑ Newbery, Piers (21 June 2010). "Jankovic defeats battling Robson". BBC News.
  56. ↑ This Week in British Tennis, Friday 16 July Lawn Tennis Association.
  57. ↑ "Laura Robson hires French coach Patrick Mouratoglou". The Guardian. 28 December 2010. Retrieved 1 August 2011.
  58. ↑ "Injured Laura Robson out of Australian Open & Fed Cup". BBC Sport. 9 January 2011. Retrieved 8 July 2013.
  59. ↑ "Wimbledon 2011: Sam Smith on Laura Robson and Heather Watson". BBC Sport. 22 June 2011. Retrieved 1 August 2011.
  60. ↑ Ornstein, David (22 June 2011). "Wimbledon 2011: Laura Robson wins but Heather Watson eliminated". BBC Sport. Retrieved 1 August 2011.
  61. ↑ Briggs, Simon (27 August 2011). "US Open 2011: Laura Robson completes British quarter in Manhattan". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 30 August 2011.
  62. ↑ Mitchell, Kevin (29 August 2011). "US Open 2011: Laura Robson advances as Ayumi Morita retires". The Guardian. Retrieved 30 August 2011.
  63. ↑ "Great Britain defeat Portugal in Fed Cup match". Lawn Tennis Association. Retrieved 3 February 2011.
  64. ↑ "AEGON GB Fed Cup Team defeat Netherlands". Lawn Tennis Association. Retrieved 3 February 2011.
  65. ↑ "GB Fed Cup team progress to World Group II play-offs". Lawn Tennis Association. Retrieved 6 February 2011.
  66. ↑ "French Open: Laura Robson loses to Anabel Medina Garrigues". BBC Sport. 28 May 2012. Retrieved 8 June 2012.
  67. ↑ "Laura Robson". Retrieved 26 June 2012.
  68. ↑ "XXV Italiacom Open: Laura Robson beats Roberta Vinci in straight sets". BBC Sport. 13 July 2012. Retrieved 13 July 2012.
  69. ↑ "Laura Robson beats Carla Suárez Navarro to reach first Tour semi-final". The Guardian. 13 July 2012. Retrieved 8 July 2013.
  70. ↑ "Laura Robson beaten in semi-finals of Italiacom Open". BBC Sport. 14 July 2012. Retrieved 13 July 2013.
  71. ↑ "GB Tennis: Laura Robson given late place in women's singles". BBC Sport. 27 July 2012. Retrieved 30 July 2012.
  72. ↑ "Olympics tennis: Heather Watson & Laura Robson through". BBC Sport. 30 July 2012. Retrieved 30 July 2012.
  73. ↑ "Andy Murray wins but Heather Watson & Laura Robson lose". BBC Sport. 31 July 2012. Retrieved 31 July 2012.
  74. ↑ "Andy and Jamie Murray beaten in Olympic tennis doubles". BBC Sport. 28 July 2012. Retrieved 30 July 2012.
  75. ↑ "Andy Murray & Laura Robson earn Olympic mixed doubles spot". BBC Sport. 31 July 2012. Retrieved 31 July 2012.
  76. ↑ "Laura Robson". London2012.com. Retrieved 22 September 2012.
  77. ↑ "Andy Murray & Laura Robson take silver in Olympics final". BBC Sport. 5 August 2012. Retrieved 16 August 2012.
  78. ↑ "Laura Robson stuns Kim Clijsters in US Open second round". BBC Sport. 30 August 2012. Retrieved 30 August 2012.
  79. ↑ "US Open: Laura Robson upsets Li Na". Retrieved 1 September 2012.
  80. ↑ "Laura Robson through to Guangzhou WTA Final". BBC Sport. 21 September 2012. Retrieved 21 September 2012.
  81. ↑ "BBC Sport – Laura Robson loses to Su-Wei Hsieh in Guangzhou Open final". BBC Sport.
  82. ↑ "Laura Robson loses to Su-Wei Hsieh in Guangzhou Open final". BBC Sport. 22 September 2012. Retrieved 11 July 2013.
  83. ↑ "HP Japan Women's Open Tennis 2012 – Ladies Singles Draw" (PDF). Women's Tennis Association. 10 October 2012. Retrieved 10 October 2012.
  84. ↑ "Players – WTA Tennis English". Women's Tennis Association. Retrieved 11 July 2013.
  85. ↑ "SJA2012: The contenders. Who gets your vote?". sportsjournalists.co.uk. Retrieved 20 October 2012.
  86. ↑ Watson and Robson honoured in London 10sballs.com. 9 November 2012. Retrieved 26 November 2012.
  87. ↑ 2012 William Hill Sportswoman of the Year formstack.com. Retrieved 26 November 2012.
  88. ↑ "WTA Player Awards: The Fan Favorites & More". Women's Tennis Association. 30 November 2012. Retrieved 6 December 2012.
  89. ↑ "2013 Results". CBSSports.com. Retrieved 18 January 2013.
  90. ↑ "Fed Cup – Player Profile – Laura Robson". Fed Cup. Retrieved 8 July 2013.
  91. ↑ "Laura Robson & Lisa Raymond lose Miami doubles final". BBC Sport. 31 March 2013. Retrieved 8 July 2013.
  92. ↑ Briggs, Simon (21 April 2013). "Laura Robson's surprise defeat sees Great Britain lose to Argentina and end Fed Cup World Group hopes". The Telegraph. Retrieved 1 June 2013.
  93. ↑ "Laura Robson beats Agnieszka Radwanska at Madrid Open – Tennis News – ESPN.co.uk". ESPN.co.uk.
  94. ↑ "Laura Robson beaten in tiebreak by Ana Ivanovic at the Madrid Open". Telegraph.co.uk. 8 May 2013.
  95. ↑ "Roger Federer falls to fifth in world rankings after Wimbledon exit".
  96. ↑ "Laura battles through in carlsbad".
  97. ↑ "Carlsbad comes to an end".
  98. ↑ "Laura Robson pulls out of the Rogers Cup".
  99. ↑ "Laura Robson books place in second round". BBC Sport. 26 August 2013. Retrieved 29 August 2013.
  100. ↑ "Laura Robson v Caroline Garcia LIVE". BBC Sport. 29 August 2013. Retrieved 29 August 2013.
  101. ↑ "US Open 2013: Li avenges 2012's loss to Robson". sportskeeda.com.
  102. ↑ Mitchell, Kevin (17 April 2014). "Laura Robson out of Wimbledon and French Open with injured wrist". TheGuardian.com. Retrieved 25 March 2015.
  103. ↑ "Laura Robson targets Australian Open in January as she recovers from wrist surgery". SkySports.com. 20 June 2014. Retrieved 25 March 2015.
  104. ↑ "Former British No 1 Laura Robson withdraws from French Open". Sky Sports. 6 May 2015. Retrieved 21 June 2015.
  105. ↑ Briggs, Simon (12 February 2015). "Laura Robson forced to delay comeback from wrist injury". Telegraph.co.uk. Retrieved 25 March 2015.
  106. ↑ "Laura Robson declines Miami Open qualifying wildcard". BBC Sport. BBC. 15 March 2015. Retrieved 25 March 2015.
  107. ↑ Cambers, Simon (20 June 2015). "Laura Robson looks ahead despite Daria Gavrilova's easy Eastbourne win". The Observer. Retrieved 21 June 2015.
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  109. ↑ "Wimbledon 2015: Heather Watson through but Laura Robson out". BBC Sport. 30 June 2015. Retrieved 30 June 2015.
  110. 1 2 Bierley, Steve (30 January 2009). "Robson reaches Australian Open final". The Guardian. Retrieved 6 February 2009.
  111. 1 2 Pitt, Nick (6 July 2008). "Laura Robson dazzles with power and poise to win title". The Times (UK). Retrieved 6 February 2009.
  112. ↑ "Wimbledon 2013: Laura Robson tipped for future glory". Retrieved 25 March 2015.
  113. ↑ Harman, Neil (26 September 2008). "Laura Robson shows all the right qualities to continue her winning habit". The Times (UK). Retrieved 6 February 2009.
  114. ↑ Reed, Simon (13 February 2009). "Simon Reed: Serena's Slam hopes". Eurosport. Archived from the original on 18 February 2009. Retrieved 15 February 2009.
  115. ↑ Cash, Pat (25 January 2009). "Laura Robson: Steady as she goes". The Times (UK). Retrieved 15 February 2009.
  116. ↑ Skilbeck, John (23 June 2011). "Williams praises rising star Laura Robson". The Independent. Retrieved 1 August 2011.
  117. ↑ Millard, Rosie (18 June 2013). "My perfect weekend: Laura Robson, British female No 1". The Daily Telegraph.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Laura Robson.
Preceded by
Heather Watson
Heather Watson		 British tennis number one
17 September 2012 – 14 October 2012
8 April 2013 – 8 June 2014 		Succeeded by
Heather Watson
Heather Watson
Awards
Preceded by
Romania Irina-Camelia Begu		 WTA Newcomer of the Year
2012 		Succeeded by
Canada Eugenie Bouchard

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