Robson hints at retirement after latest surgery
Laura Robson, the Olympic medallist who is one of Britain’s most charismatic yet unfulfilled players, has hinted that her career may be over after she underwent a third hip operation.
Robson has been battling the same sort of issue as Andy Murray – the deterioration of cartilage in her hip socket – and started training for a possible comeback in December. But the extra workload only seems to have made the condition flare up.
She told her Instagram followers yesterday: “I was desperate to carry on with training but was in so much pain that surgery was unavoidable. A decision has been made to prioritise the long-term health of my hip. Where that leaves me with tennis, I’m really not sure. More than anything, my goal is to have a happy, pain-free life.”
Poignantly, Robson made the post on her 27th birthday. It is easy to forthat get how young she is, because her name has carried such weight within British tennis since she won the Wimbledon girls’ event at 14.
“Laura had one of the best ballstrikes I’ve ever seen on a tennis court,” said Annabel Croft, another Briton who won the junior event at Wimbledon but retired in her twenties. “In terms of natural power that just zings off the racket, it was breathtaking to watch.
“I still believe she had the talent to win Wimbledon as an adult as well. She had the Centre Court mentality: she naturally rose to the occasion and embraced it. It was tougher for her to float around the back courts and the lesser tournaments.” early Wimbledon title may have been more of a burden than a boost, placing huge expectations on Robson before she had come to understand the demands of the world tour. But she seemed to be growing into her career nicely in 2012, when she partnered Murray to a silver medal at the London Olympics and then beat two major champions – Kim Clijsters and Li Na – on her way to the fourth round of the US Open. When Robson reached the fourth round of Wimbledon the following summer, her world ranking climbed to its peak of No27. Sadly, her injury woes began soon after, with the first pangs of what would become a serious tendinitis problem in her wrists. Since 2013, she has spent more time rehabbing from surgery than on the match court, and has claimed only one win over a top-100 opponent in the past seven years.
“When you have natural class, like Laura, it never goes away,” Croft said. “But when you are dealing with injuries, it gets tougher if you can’t train. Speed and mobility were harder for her because she was so tall and when you’re always on the physio’s couch, it’s hard to improve your movement.
“Some people’s bodies just break down on them and it’s so unlucky if it happens. Also, it’s never easy when the attention is thrown on you as suddenly as it was after she won junior Wimbledon. People have been watching her so closely.”
In recent years, Robson has used her downtime to develop a promising sideline as a broadcaster. She may well follow in Croft’s footsteps yet again by becoming a regular on our screens each summer.