Laura Robson Temporarily Working With Sven Groeneveld

Written by: Staff on 10th May 2013

Laura Robson Temporarily Working With Sven Groeneveld |

Laura Robson is heading for a fresh start in Rome after her 11th double-fault spelled the end of her third-round Madrid match against Ana Ivanovic. But the 19-year-old ranked 41st will also be escaping to a new life on court after splitting with her coach of nine months, the authoritarian Croatian Zeljko Krajan.

The fun-loving Robson reportedly grew tired of her mentor’s all-work ethic, all-the-time attitude, much in the same way that former clients Dinara Safina and Dominika Cibulkova had. Slovak Cibulkova said after her own split last year: “He was just putting too much pressure and with every ball I missed and every match I lost I was just putting myself really down because he was very, very tough.”

British No 1 Robson will be coached temporarily as part of her adidas contract by Sven Groeneveld, who is available to all marquee players under contract to the marque. The fun-loving Robson, who appreciates her television, music and shopping as much as her tennis, was said to have never been a good fit with the no-nonsense Krajan.

Krajan, who guided took Russia’s Safina to the top WTA ranking before she left the game in 2011, told London’s Times that Robson did not possess the proper work ethic. “The mentality is different. I did expect more from Laura but when it doesn’t go that way anymore it is not the time to stay.

“She was not mature enough to do this kind of work enough times for me. She needed to be more serious and to commit herself more. She had to do this every day, not only in the big tournaments.”

Robson is fresh from her first win over a top 5 player after knocking out Agnieszka Radwanska in Madrid.

©Daily Tennis News Wire

Topics: Adidas tennis news, Agnieszka Radwanska, Ana Ivanovic, British tennis news, Laura Robson, Mutua Madrid Open, Sports, sven groeneveld, Tennis News, Zeljko Krajan