After many seasons on the rise, 22-year old Laura Robson has pulled out of next week’s WTA Monterrey tournament, citing yet another setback with her wrist injury. Following surgery on that left wrist in 2014, the former Wimbledon Junior Girls Champion has still not fully recaptured the level of tennis that propelled her to the round of 16 both at Wimbledon in 2013 and the US Open in 2012.

Due to her extended absence, she has currently fallen down to 556th in the world, causing her to have to compete in many lower level tournaments once again in order to try and regain ground, both her ranking as well as her level of play. Her agent has made it clear that the 22-year old hopes to return to the tour next month.

Robson won a silver medal in the 2012 Olympics in Mixed Doubles, competing with Andy Murray. Credit: Clive Brunskill/Getty Images
Robson won a silver medal in the 2012 Olympics in Mixed Doubles, competing with Andy Murray. Credit: Clive Brunskill/Getty Images

Robson Withdraws From WTA Monterrey

Robson’s team recently announced that the former British number one withdrew from the WTA tournament in Monterrey, Mexico, citing her well-known issues with her wrist. Other notable players in the main draw include Caroline Wozniacki, Sara Errani, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, Johanna Konta, and Caroline Garcia.

Ever since that surgery in 2014, the 22-year old has not been the same. As proven by Juan Martin del Potro’s long recovery time from his wrist surgery, wrist injuries are very difficult from which to come back. Robson had been seen as Britain’s next best hope for a woman champion, as by reaching the fourth round at the U.S. Open in 2012, she became the first British woman to get that far in a Grand Slam since Samantha Smith in 1998.

Robson rips a forehand winner in her upset victory over Kim Clijsters, which was Clijsters' final match of her career. Credit: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images
Robson rips a forehand winner in her upset victory over Kim Clijsters at the U.S. Open in 2012, which was Clijsters' final match of her career. Credit: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

Robson’s Long Road Back

After undergoing that surgery back in April of 2014, Robson has had perpetual issues returning to the WTA. Despite planning to play again in 2014, she never made it back to the court. In 2015, the British up-and-comer missed the Australian Open and declined a wild card entry to the Miami Open qualifying round. She returned to the tour at the Aegon International in Eastbourne in June of 2015, more than a year after her initial surgery. She lost in the first round.

She was later granted a wildcard into the Wimbledon main draw, but once again lost in the first round to Russian Evgeniya Rodina. The lefty’s road back has been nothing but frustrating, both for Robson herself as well as her fan-base. She will attempt to play next month at Indian Wells, one of the largest WTA tournaments of the season aside from Grand Slams. 

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About the author
Jake Best
Jake Best is a student at the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida, majoring in journalism as well as minoring in French and Francophone studies. Beyond tennis, Jake has an interest in politics. He is the former president of Gators 4 Hillary. He also enjoys NFL football, baseball as well as world travel.