Laura Robson, the former junior Wimbledon champion and Olympic silver medallist, has retired from tennis at the age of 28.
Robson, who had wrist surgery in 2014 followed by three hip operations, has not played competitively since an ITF tournament in Sunderland in April 2019.
She became the first Briton to win the Wimbledon girls’ title for 24 years in 2008 at the age of 14.
Born in Australia, Robson moves to the UK aged 6 She wins girls’ title at Wimbledon in 2008 Robson wins silver medal at London 2012 in mixed doubles with Andy Murray Reaches fourth round at US Open later the same year Robson becomes first Brit to reach a WTA final since Jo Durie at Newport in 1990 but finishes runner-up at Guangzhou In 2013, Robson reaches last 16 at Wimbledon She achieves her highest ranking of 27 Wrist injury keeps her out of action for next two years Hip problems come to the fore in 2018 and she undergoes surgery Robson plays her final match in Sunderland in April 2019 She undergoes the knife again later that year and for a third time last January
“I went through every possibility of rehab and of surgery,” Robson told BBC Sport.
“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.
“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 beat Grand Slam champions Kim Clijsters and Li Na on her way to reaching the fourth round at the US Open in 2012 and followed that up with a run to the same stage at Wimbledon the following year.
At the age of 18, she won an Olympic silver medal alongside Andy Murray in the mixed doubles at London 2012.
The left-hander, who also became the first Briton to play in a WTA final for 22 years when she reached her only WTA final in Guangzhou, peaked at a career-high ranking of 27th in the world, but she has been plagued by injury since.
Robson needed wrist surgery at the start of the 2014 season before undergoing hip surgery in June 2018 and then again in December 2019 before a third operation last January.
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“I think overall I’m a much nicer person from going through all of that,” said Robson, who has carved out a new career in TV and radio. “If I keep looking back and thinking ‘what if’, then I can’t move forward.
“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.