Laura Robson Uses Protected Ranking to Gain US Open Main Draw Entry
The BBC announced that former British No. 1 Laura Robson has been entered into the main draw of August’s United States Open.
The Brit used her protected ranking, which allowed her to enter up to eight tournaments based off the ranking she had before a long-term spell on the sidelines with an injury.
Robson was forced onto the sidelines in January with a left wrist injury and watched her hard work and ranking deteriorate whilst other competitors rose to prominence over the year. Having not played tennis since her first round loss to Kirsten Flipkens in the opening round of the Australian Open, Robson returned to court last week at the Eastbourne qualifying tournament, where she lost to one of the tour’s rising competitors Daria Gavrilova. She then arrived at SW19, where she lost in the opening round of the tournament against Evgeniya Rodina.
Determined to get back on track, Robson took part in the ITF tournament in Canada this week, where she won her first match in nearly two years. The 21-year-old defeated Naomi Osaka 7-6 (7-5) 6-7 (5-7) 6-3 at the Granby National Bank Challenger. It was her first win since September 2013.
Robson reached a career-high of No. 27 on the tour and reached the fourth round of Wimbledon Championships, as well as the third rounds of the Australian Open the French Open and the U.S. Open. However, since her absence from the tour, she has dropped from No. 27 to No. 913.
The US Open is scheduled to begin Monday, August 31st.