“LAURA ROBSON is embarking on a marathon two-month 22,000-mile reporting stint for TNT Sports – as she swaps sunscreen and swim shorts for gloves and ski goggles. The former tennis player says it was a “no-brainer” to agree to go from 30-degree heat in Melbourne for the Australian Open to the sub-zero overnight conditions in”, — write: www.thesun.co.uk
The former tennis player says it was a “no-brainer” to agree to go from 30-degree heat in Melbourne for the Australian Open to the sub-zero overnight conditions in Milan-Cortina for the 25th Winter Olympics.
Thank you!
Laura Robson faces a marathon reporting gig from Australia Open to Winter OlympicsCredit: Getty
Laura Robson interviews Karolina Muchova courtsideCredit: Getty Though it is a punishing sporting schedule – she will have one day at home in London between the two – she says she could not turn down the chance to work next month in the Italian Alps.
As a player, her most cherished memories were when she won Olympic mixed doubles silver with Andy Murray at Wimbledon – the duo lost in three sets in the final to Belarussian pair Victoria Azarenka and Max Mirnyi – at the London 2012 Games.
Professionally, one of her best experiences, having made the transition from playing to broadcasting, was working on the 2024 Paris Olympics for the TV channel.
Robson, who turns 31 on January 21, the same birthday as darts superstar Luke Littler, had a special celebration last month with friends in London, including tennis player Heather Watson, before she flew Down Under.
She was in Melbourne for Christmas Day because her parents and sister are based there, in the city where she was born in January 1994.
And then she travelled to Perth on the other side of the county for United Cup TV duty.
The plan is to stay for the duration of the Winter Olympics until the Closing Ceremony on February 22.
Robson, 31, told SunSport: “I flew to Australia just before Christmas and will stay out there until the end of the AO (Australian Open). I’m working for TNT on the Aussie Open.
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“It’s a very quick turnaround. I think I land from Australia on February 3rd and leave the next day to Milan-Cortina.
“When I signed up for it I knew what I was in for, and you just always have to say yes when it’s anything Olympics-related.
“Like the Summer Olympics was one of, if not the best thing I was a part of. So it was a no-brainer for me to do the Winters as well.
“My technique and thought process is if I pack a suitcase before I leave for Australia, a Winter Olympics suitcase, then at least for the 24 hours that I’m at home, I’m not spending the whole time unpacking and repacking.
“Initially there was some talk about potentially going straight there from Melbourne.
“I was like: ‘I can’t wrap my head around that. I need at least one night to just decompress and change sports in my head.’ Because the AO is so full on.
“You just need that plane journey home to reset and then go again. It’s going to be hectic but in the best way.
“I’m very lucky, maybe it’s a skill that I’ve developed over many, many years of travelling now. Sleep is one of my greatest strengths.
“On the way back from Australia last year, so it was 10 hours to Hong Kong, I slept that entire journey.
“Got off the flight, went on the next flight, which was like another 13 hours, slept that entire journey as well.
“People maybe don’t realise quite how long the days are in Melbourne. We’re there before the day session starts.
“And then at the end of the night, you’re there until like two or three o’clock.
“So you just kind of get on this run of energy when you’re in the tournament, but then on the way home, try and catch up on as much sleep as possible.”
Laura will have one day at her home in London between Melbourne and Milan-CortinaCredit: Reuters
Laura Robson speaks on Sky SportsCredit: Getty There had been talk of Robson working for TNT during the Ashes and she says “it was nice to have been in the conversation at one point” but she could not give it the “time requirement and preparation that it deserved”.
Robson will be based in the Cortina mountains – where the skeleton, bobsleigh and curling action will take place – but she does not know which sport she will cover as a “roving reporter”.
The former Wimbledon girls champion said: “When I get to Cortina, the atmosphere is going to be so good.
“Just the energy around every single site and every single place that we’re going to be out and about at. It’s going to carry me through for sure. It’s all new for me.
“All the sports that I’ve watched over many years of just being a fan of the Winter Olympics and then to see it in action, I’m absolutely desperate to get to even some of the ones that I won’t be working on.
“Because of the technical skill set, all the fine tuning that they do for, let’s say in the figure skating, it blows my mind.
“That’s what I loved about the Summer Olympics as well. Each day when I finished work, I was going off to other events and trying to soak up as much other sport as possible.
“You get so hyped about all the different stories. Every day is like the best day of someone’s life somewhere.
“My job is more to bring out the atmosphere, the major stories and the personalities of the people competing as well in a way.
“No-one would ever want to hear my thoughts on technical stuff that I know nothing about.”
Watch every event of Milano Cortina 2026 live on TNT Sports and discovery+ from 6-22 February
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