Ex-Olympic silver medallist and junior Wimbledon champion Laura Robson, 28, forced to retire after injury-plagued career
LAURA ROBSON has announced her retirement from tennis at the age of 28.
The Brit was tipped as a potential Wimbledon champion in her youth after winning the junior title at the All England club aged 14.
But injuries have troubled Robson throughout her career with a recurring hip problem forcing early retirement.
Robson announced the news, telling : “I went through every possibility of rehab and of surgery
“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.
“It feels weird to say out loud, but I’m done, I’m retired.
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“I’ve sort of known that for a while because of what I was told by the doctors last year, but I think it just took me so long to say it to myself, which is why it took me so long to say it officially.”
Robson rose to 27th in the world rankings at her peak and reached the fourth round of Wimbledon and the US Open.
Aged 18 she won a silver medal at the London 2012 Olympics alongside Andy Murray in the mixed doubles.
Robson also became the first Briton to play in a WTA final for 22 years when she reached the WTA final in Guangzhou in September 2012.
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Robson is proud of her achievements but feels injuries have stopped her from reaching her potential – she was forced to have wrist surgery in 2014 before undergoing three hip operations.
Reflecting on her career, Robson added: “I think I’m always going to have the feeling that I could have done more, unfortunately.
“I feel like if I had just had another year or two of being healthy, I don’t know what I could have achieved.
“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.”