Former British No 1 Laura Robson has undergone a third hip operation which could spell the end of her tennis career.
Robson first underwent hip surgery in July 2018, returning to the match court in the spring of 2019, but the pain remained and she went under the knife for the second time that December.
She resumed training in December last year, posting a video clip of her hitting at the National Tennis Centre in London.
But now Robson has been forced to undergo a third operation on her hip last week, announcing the latest setback to her hopes of a comeback on her 27th birthday.
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"Sadly I had to undergo a 3rd operation on my hip last week. I was desperate to carry on with training but was in so much pain that surgery was unavoidable," Robson said in an Instagram post.
"Following the advice of the surgeon and other doctors, a decision has been made to prioritise the long term health of my hip.
"Where that leaves me with tennis I'm really not sure, it will depend on how things heal in the next few months. More than anything my goal is to have a happy, pain-free life.
"This whole process has been incredibly mentally draining and I'm so grateful to the physios/family/friends that have been there to guide me through it (socially distanced of course)."
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Robson showed promising signs as a teenager, becoming the new sensation of British sport after winning the junior Wimbledon girls' title at the age of 14.
Robson won a silver medal in mixed doubles alongside Andy Murray at the London Olympics in 2012.
She later went on to reach the fourth round at the All England Club in 2013 before climbing to a career-high No 27 later that summer while still a teenager.
But serious wrist problems surfaced at the end of 2013 and she has not been the same player since.
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