Sobbing Jones bows out of Aussie Open

Francesca Jones falls in agony

A goodbye to the fans from Francesca Jones 

An emotional Francesca Jones vowed to pick herself up after the British number three saw injury wreck her chances of a first main-draw win at the Australian Open. Jones was left sobbing on court after struggling with a glute problem from the early stages of her first-round match against Polish qualifier Linda Klimovicova. The distraught 25-year-old tried to continue but ultimately quit when trailing 6-2 3-2.

The world number 71 has a rare genetic condition which means she plays with a modified grip, defying the doctors who said she would never play professionally.

“If I was someone that didn’t know how to pick myself up quickly, I’d have no capacity to be where I am right now,” Jones said.

A groin injury had forced Jones out of a match at last week’s Auckland International, but it was a glute problem that led to her retirement against Klimovicova. Jones was born with Ectrodactyly Ectodermal Dysplasia (EEC) and has three fingers and a thumb on each hand, three toes on her right foot and four toes on her left. After a difficult 2024 where she found herself outside the world’s top 150, Jones planned to retire in 2025 if her ranking did not improve. Instead, she enjoyed a life-changing season that pumped new energy into her tennis career.

Jones had received direct entry into the Australian Open main draw for the first time, but this marked a sad exit to what had been a proud moment.

There was a sombre atmosphere on the court as Jones sobbed loudly while receiving treatment in the third set. The crowd applauded her sympathetically as Jones limped off with a towel covering her head.

It is the 16th time she has retired from a match since the start of the 2023 season. “I don’t relate to any of the retirements directly to what could be referred to as ‘kid with a syndrome’,” Jones said. “What I relate it to is that I don’t think I had a team inplace and the expertise that I needed from a younger age. “So my age might say 25, but my physical journey, I’m still quite early in.”

Early retirements became a theme on day two in Melbourne, with men’s eighth seed Felix Auger-Aliassime and qualifier Marina Stakusic - who was taken off court in a wheelchair - both forced to retire after cramping. The heat hit 30C in Melbourne but it is common for players to compete in much higher temperatures. By mid-afternoon the Australian Open’s heat stress scale read 1.4 out of five - deemed ‘temperature playing conditions’. Canada’s Auger-Aliassime came into the Australian Open as part of the group tipped to challenge clear favourites Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner for the men’s title. The 25-year-old surged into the world’s top five after finishing last season with a flourish, including a run to the US Open semi-finals.

But he fell at the first hurdle in Melbourne despite taking the opening set against Portugal’s Nuno Borges.

“I can’t recall ever in my life this [happening this] early in a tournament, this early in a match,” Auger-Aliassime said after quitting when trailing 3-6 6-4 6-4.

“I don’t have all the answers now.” (BBC sport)