Laura Robson was born on January 21, 1994, in Melbourne, Australia, to Andrew and Kathy Robson. She moved to the United Kingdom when aged six, going on to represent the country as a tennis player. Robson began playing tennis at a very early age and generated attention due to how talented she was, leading to her signing a deal with Adidas at the age of 11.
The Briton’s immense talent continued to shine as a junior player. She created much media attention by winning the 2008 Wimbledon girls’ singles title. Robson was also the runner-up in the girls’ singles at the Australian Open and the US Open.
After receiving wild cards at Wimbledon in 2009 and 2010, Robson began to compete regularly on the WTA Tour in 2011. She registered her first Grand Slam victories during that year at Wimbledon and the US Open.
Robson made what turned out to be her only WTA Tour final in September 2012 at the Guangzhou Open. She defeated Maria Teresa Torra Flor, Jie Zheng, Shuai Peng, and Sorana Cirstea to reach that stage. Robson narrowly lost the final 3-6, 7-5, 4-6 to Hsieh Su-Wei.
2012 also saw Robson progress to the fourth round at the US Open. This included a victory against the two-time Grand Slam champion Li Na before exiting to the defending champion Samantha Stosur. Robson also claimed a silver medal in the mixed doubles with Andy Murray at the 2012 Olympics.
Robson’s final run to the fourth round of a Grand Slam was achieved at Wimbledon in 2013. She overcame Maria Kirilenko, Mariana Duque Marino, and Marina Erakovic. Her run was ended by Kaia Kanepi.
Robson also made third-round appearances at the Australian Open and US Open in 2013. Sadly, Robson’s career was seriously derailed by injury after that. She had an extended absence from 2014 until 2016 due to a wrist injury. After struggling for form after returning, the Briton then began having serious hip problems in 2018.
Those issues persisted until Robson announced her retirement shortly before the 2022 French Open. Robson’s immense talent means it is a real shame that she was never able to reach her full potential. However, since retiring, Robson has become a very insightful pundit and analyst.
