Laura Robson facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Laura Robson

Laura Robson at the 2017 Wimbledon Championships
Country (sports)	United Kingdom
Residence	London
Born	(1994-01-21) 21 January 1994 (age 31) Melbourne, Australia
Height	5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Turned pro	2008
Retired	May 2022
Plays	Left-handed (two-handed backhand)
Coach	Martijn Bok (2007–2010) Patrick Mouratoglou (2011) Luke Milligan (2011–2012) Željko Krajan (2012–2013) Miles Maclagan (2013) Nick Saviano (2013) Jesse Witten (2013) Mauricio Hadad (2014–2016)
Prize money	$1,605,607
Singles
Career record	176–166 (51.46%)
Career titles	0
Highest ranking	No. 27 (8 July 2013)
Grand Slam singles results
Australian Open	3R (2013)
French Open	1R (2012, 2013, 2016)
Wimbledon	4R (2013)
US Open	4R (2012)
Other tournaments
Olympic Games	2R (2012)
Doubles
Career record	75–67 (52.82%)
Career titles	0
Highest ranking	No. 82 (17 March 2014)
Grand Slam doubles results
Australian Open	QF (2010)
Wimbledon	2R (2009, 2013, 2017)
US Open	2R (2015)
Grand Slam mixed doubles results
Wimbledon	3R (2012)
Team competitions
Fed Cup	13–3
Hopman Cup	F (2010)
Medal record Representing  Great Britain Silver 2012 London Mixed doubles

Laura Robson (born 21 January 1994) is a former professional tennis player from Britain. She started playing on the junior tennis tour in 2007. Just one year later, at age 14, she won the Junior Wimbledon title. As a junior, she also reached the finals of the girls' singles at the Australian Open twice, in 2009 and 2010. She won her first professional tournament in November 2008.

In singles tennis, Laura was the first British woman since 1998 to reach the fourth round of a major tournament, known as a Grand Slam. She achieved this at the 2012 US Open and the 2013 Wimbledon Championships. In 2012, she became the first British woman in 22 years to reach a final on the WTA Tour, which is the main professional tennis circuit. She was named the WTA Newcomer of the Year in 2012. The next year, she reached her highest singles ranking, world No. 27. In mixed doubles, she won a silver medal at the 2012 London Olympics with Andy Murray. They also reached the final of the 2010 Hopman Cup.

Laura faced many injuries in 2014 and 2015, especially to her left wrist. This led to her being away from the WTA Tour for long periods. After returning to full-time tennis in 2016, she found it hard to get back to her top form. In July 2018, she had hip surgery and did not play on the WTA Tour again. On 16 May 2022, Laura announced her retirement from tennis at age 28. Since then, she has worked as the tournament director for the Nottingham Open in 2023 and 2024. She will also direct a new women's event at Queen's Club in 2025.

Early Life and Junior Success

Laura Robson was born on 21 January 1994 in Melbourne, Australia. She was the third child of Andrew and Kathy Robson. Her father worked for Shell, and her mother was a sports coach and former professional basketball player. When Laura was 18 months old, her family moved to Singapore. They then moved to the United Kingdom when she was six years old.

Her parents said she started playing tennis as soon as she could hold a racquet. At age seven, she joined a junior tennis academy. She signed deals with management companies and sports brands like Adidas and Wilson when she was young.

Laura chose Martijn Bok as her coach in 2007. Bok saw a lot of potential in Laura, even though she sometimes struggled with her emotions. She also trained at the National Tennis Centre. She took her school lessons at home.

Laura's first junior tournament was in 2007. She reached the quarterfinals and later won her first title in October. In 2008, she reached three finals.

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

Laura played in her first junior Grand Slam at the Wimbledon girls' event. She was the youngest player in the tournament. She beat the top player, Melanie Oudin, and then defeated Noppawan Lertcheewakarn in the final. This win made her the first British player to win the girls' event since 1984. The British media called her the "new darling" of British tennis.

After a short time on the main tour, Laura returned to junior play. She was nominated for the BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year but did not win.

After an injury, Laura played in the junior tournament of the 2009 Australian Open. She was seeded fifth and reached her second Grand Slam junior final. She lost to Ksenia Pervak from Russia. Her coach said that everyone needed to be patient with her progress. After this, Laura started training with Gil Reyes, a famous trainer. She also became the top-ranked player on the ITF Junior Tour in April.

Laura Robson on her way to her second junior Grand Slam final at the 2009 Australian Open. She reached the final again a year later.

At the 2009 French Open, Laura was the top seed in the junior competition. However, she lost in the second round. As the defending champion at Wimbledon, she also lost in the second round.

Laura focused more on her senior career. At the US Open, she reached the semifinals. She played two matches on the same day due to rain delays. She started strong but got tired and lost.

At the junior singles at the 2010 Australian Open, Laura reached her fourth junior Grand Slam semifinal. She lost in the final to Karolína Plíšková. At Wimbledon junior singles, she reached the semifinals.

Turning Professional

2008: First Professional Title

After her Wimbledon junior win, Laura started playing on the ITF Women's Circuit. This is a level below the main WTA Tour. She won her first professional match in France. Later, she received a special entry, called a wildcard, into a bigger tournament in Shrewsbury. She reached the semifinals there.

Laura also got a wildcard to play in her first WTA Tour event, the Luxembourg Open. She lost in the first round. Returning to the ITF Circuit, she won her first ITF title in Sunderland at just 14 years old.

2009: Early WTA Appearances

Laura played mostly junior tournaments in early 2009. In June, she received a wildcard for the singles event at Wimbledon. She faced a tough opponent, Daniela Hantuchová, and lost in the first round. She also played in the doubles tournament.

In August, Laura received a wildcard for the US Open qualifying rounds. She won two matches but lost in the final round, just missing out on the main draw. Later in the year, she played in the Luxembourg Open qualifying again. She won two matches but lost in the final round.

2010: Hopman Cup Final and Grand Slam Doubles Quarterfinal

Laura Robson playing at the 2010 Hopman Cup.

Laura started 2010 playing with Andy Murray in the 2010 Hopman Cup. This was Britain's first team in the tournament since 1992. She won some mixed doubles matches with Murray, and they reached the finals. They lost a very close final match to Spain.

Laura received a wildcard for the qualifying rounds of the 2010 Australian Open. She won her first match but lost the second. However, she got a wildcard into the main draw of the doubles event with Sally Peers. They had a great run, beating seeded teams and reaching the quarterfinals.

After the Australian Open, Laura took a break until April. She reached the semifinals of an ITF event in Dothan. She also reached a career-high doubles ranking of No. 102.

She then qualified for the main draw of the Aegon Classic in Edgbaston. She won her first-ever main-draw match on the WTA Tour there. She received another wildcard for Wimbledon but lost to Jelena Janković in the first round. In August, she played in the qualifying tournament for the US Open. She surprised the second seed, Jelena Dokić, and won two matches but lost in the third round.

In September 2010, Laura announced she was splitting with her coach, Martijn Bok. She then played in the Pan Pacific Open in Japan. She qualified for the main draw and won her first-round match.

2011: New Coach and First Grand Slam Main Draw Win

For 2011, Laura hired a new coach, Patrick Mouratoglou, and moved her training to Paris. Injuries affected her season, causing her to miss tournaments. She won her first match at a Grand Slam tournament at Wimbledon, beating Angelique Kerber. She then lost to Maria Sharapova.

At the US Open, Laura won three qualifying matches to reach the main draw. She won her first-round match when her opponent retired. She then lost in the second round.

Olympic Medal and Grand Slam Breakthrough

2012: Olympic Silver and First WTA Final

Laura Robson at the 2012 Open de Cagnes-sur-Mer.

Laura qualified for the main draw of the 2012 Australian Open for the first time. She lost in the first round. She was chosen for the British Fed Cup team for the first time. She helped the team qualify for a promotion play-off.

Laura reached her first WTA Tour semifinal at the Palermo Ladies Open. She beat two higher-ranked players before losing in the semifinals. This result helped her break into the top 100 players for the first time.

Laura Robson with Andy Murray in the mixed doubles at the 2012 Summer Olympics.

She received a late entry into the women's singles at the 2012 Olympics in London. She beat a top-ranked player in the first round but lost to Maria Sharapova in the second. She also played mixed doubles with Andy Murray. They had a fantastic run, reaching the final and winning a silver medal. They lost to the Belarusian team of Victoria Azarenka and Max Mirnyi.

Laura entered the US Open directly due to her ranking. In the second round, she famously defeated former US Open champion Kim Clijsters in Clijsters' final singles match before retiring. Laura then beat the ninth-seeded player, Li Na, in the third round. This made her the first British woman to reach the fourth round of a Grand Slam in 14 years. She lost to the defending champion in the next round.

Her next tournament was the Guangzhou Open. She reached her first WTA Tour final there, becoming the first British woman to do so since 1990. She lost the final but her ranking moved into the top 70. She finished the year ranked 53rd. Laura won the "WTA Newcomer of the Year" award for 2012.

2013: Career-High Ranking

Laura Robson at the 2013 Australian Open.

Laura started 2013 by entering the top 50 players. At the 2013 Australian Open, she won her first match there. In the second round, she beat former Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitová in a long match. She then lost in the third round.

Laura played in the Fed Cup, helping Great Britain earn a play-off spot. At the Miami Open, she reached the second round in singles. In doubles, she teamed up with Lisa Raymond and they reached the final, beating the world No. 1 team in the semifinals.

During the clay-court season, Laura had some early losses. However, at the Madrid Open, she defeated world No. 4, Agnieszka Radwańska. She then lost to former world No. 1, Ana Ivanovic. At the Italian Open, she beat Venus Williams but then lost to her sister, world No. 1 Serena Williams. At the 2013 French Open, she lost in the first round.

To start the grass-court season, Laura played in the Birmingham Classic and Eastbourne International, but lost early in both.

At Wimbledon, Laura beat the tenth seed, Maria Kirilenko, in the first round. She reached the fourth round, where she lost to Kaia Kanepi. This performance pushed her ranking to No. 27 in the world. This was the first time a British player had been in the top 30 since 1987.

Laura had to withdraw from some tournaments due to a wrist injury. At the US Open, she was seeded for the first time at a Grand Slam. She won her first two matches but then lost to Li Na in the third round. In October, Laura announced she was looking for a new coach.

Battling Injuries and Retirement

2014–2015: Long Absence Due to Wrist Injury

Laura's 2014 season started with a left wrist injury at the Hobart International. This injury continued to bother her at the 2014 Australian Open. After three months of rest, she had surgery on her left wrist in April. This meant she missed the French Open, Wimbledon, and the US Open. She did not play again in 2014.

Laura did not play in the Australian Open in 2015 and her ranking dropped. After being away for a year and a half, she played her first match at the Eastbourne International, but lost. She received a wildcard for Wimbledon but lost in the first round. She continued to struggle with injuries, including a stomach strain.

2016–2017: Return to Tennis and Struggles

After more wrist surgery in late 2015, Laura missed the Australian Open again. She used a special "protected ranking" to enter some WTA Tour events. She won her first WTA match since her injury in 2013 at a qualifying event in Stuttgart. She also won a main-draw match in Rabat.

Laura received a wildcard for Wimbledon for a second year but lost in the first round. In August, she won a lower-tier ITF tournament in the USA. She then qualified for the main draw of the US Open, but lost to fellow Brit Naomi Broady in the first round. After the US Open, she continued to struggle, losing early in many tournaments.

In 2017, Laura continued to face challenges. She lost in the qualifying rounds of the Auckland and Australian Open. She reached three quarterfinals on the ITF Circuit. She won the biggest title of her career at the 60k Kurume Cup, which helped her get back into the top 200 players. She received a wildcard for Wimbledon but lost in the first round. She continued to struggle with her form for the rest of the season.

2018–2022: Hip Surgery and Retirement

In 2018, Laura's ranking was too low for the Australian Open singles qualifying. She played in the doubles event. She won a doubles title at an ITF event in Yokohama in March. In July 2018, she had hip surgery.

After eight months of recovery, Laura returned to tennis in February 2019. Her world ranking was 511. She played in some smaller tournaments. She won her first main-draw match after her comeback but had to retire from her next match due to an injury. This injury was not serious, but she decided to have another operation on her hip in December.

After missing all of the 2020 and 2021 seasons due to ongoing injuries and multiple hip surgeries, Laura Robson announced her retirement from tennis in May 2022.

How She Played: Her Tennis Style

Laura Robson played tennis left-handed. She used a two-handed backhand shot. One of her biggest strengths was her powerful serve. She also played strongly from the back of the court and had an aggressive forehand return.

However, some people noted that her side-to-side movement on the court was not always strong. Her second serve could also be inconsistent, sometimes leading to double faults. Despite this, she was praised for her calm and confident attitude. Many experts believed she had all the skills needed to be a top player. Former Grand Slam champion Pat Cash called her a "special talent." Serena Williams described Laura as an "all-around good player." Laura's favorite surface to play on was grass, and her favorite shot was her forehand down the line.

Career Highlights

Olympic Games Final

Laura Robson won a silver medal at the 2012 London Olympics in mixed doubles.

Result	Year	Location	Surface	Partner	Opponents	Score
Silver	2012	London	Grass	Andy Murray	Victoria Azarenka Max Mirnyi	6–2, 3–6, [8–10]

Junior Grand Slam Finals

Laura reached three junior Grand Slam finals, winning one.

Result	No.	Date	Tournament	Surface	Opponent	Score
Win	1	3 July 2008	Wimbledon	Grass	Noppawan Lertcheewakarn	6–3, 3–6, 6–1
Loss	1	31 January 2009	Australian Open	Hard	Ksenia Pervak	3–6, 1–6
Loss	2	30 January 2010	Australian Open	Hard	Karolína Plíšková	1–6, 6–7(5–7)

See also

In Spanish: Laura Robson para niños