History will be made today when 15 year old British player Laura Robson takes on former world number five Daniela Hantuchova in her first Grand Slam at Wimbledon.
Last week Robson was sitting her GSCE exams and this week she will be stepping out on the new number two court at Wimbledon as the twelfth youngest competitor since the game went professional in 1968.
The early years
Last year a 14 year old Robson became the first Britain to win the Wimbledon junior championship since Annabel Croft in 1984. Since then she has spent a short stint on the senior tour before returning to the junior tour in time for the Australian Open in January 2009, where she was beaten in the finals.
Robson, who has grown three inches since her last visit to Wimbledon, plays left handed with a two handed backhand and is currently ranked 482. She has been given a wildcard into Wimbledon by the LTA. She is currently coached by Martijn Bok and does off-court training with Steve Kotze.
Born in Melbourne, Australia, the young tennis player moved to England at the age of six with her dad Andrew an Oil Executive, her mum Kathy a sports coach and her two older siblings. She became a British citizen in early 2008 after her dad obtained a British passport and now holds dual nationality. She currently lives only a walk away from Wimbledon in London.
Encouraged by her parents she joined a tennis academy at the age of seven and had a contract signed with Adidas by the age of 11 and racquet manufacturer Wilson soon followed suit. She has been funded by the LTA for the past five years and has been coached by Carl Mae’s, who also coached Clijster’s and was the head of women’s tennis at the LTA.
Professional’s opinion
Billie Jean King said that Robson: “will go a long, long way” after watching her in the Wimbledon Junior final last year. She added: “She's the real deal. I've been so impressed by what I've seen. She's got real composure and talent."
However Virginia Wade, the 1977 women’s champion is worried that the media focus could have a negative impact on the young player. "The pressure of being a British player is phenomenal: “she told inthenews.co.uk. "There's so much pressure on any top player but it's that much more significant if you're British - so it's a real concern for me that pressure might get the better of her."
Robson's mini break this year from the tennis circuit met with Wade's approval. "Maybe in a way going back to school, studying and having an enforced break might have been a blessing in disguise. "Otherwise nothing stops you and then you get jaded so early."
Can she win Wimbldeon?
Previous Wimbledon winner Maria Sharapova believes that Robson’s success last year in the juniors could help her go all the way this year at Wimbledon. She has said that Wimbledon “is a great place to start. There comes a time when you must play on the big stage.
She told the Sun that: “Laura’s win at Wimbledon in the girls’ tournament last year will really help her this time around. “It’ll give her a special excitement coming back and she will be able to cherish every single moment.”
Ladbrokes are now offering odds of four to one that Laura will win the ladies' draw at Wimbledon at some point in her career.
Her spokesman David Williams told the Daily Mail that: “Laura set the betting world alight last year when she burst onto the scene. We've never seen such interest in anyone so young.
“At 4-1 she's the shortest price we've offered on a female Brit in decades and whilst we don't see her getting too far in the seniors this year, we're convinced she's got a massive future.”
Other British players to watch
Other British ladies singles wildcards playing at Wimbledon this year are Elena Baltacha, Katie O’Brien, Melanie South and Georgie Stoop.