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In a parallel universe, Francesca Jones might now be sitting at home preparing applications for university courses.
Instead, the 25-year-old Briton is preparing for the Australian Open after a life-changing season that has pumped new energy into her tennis career.
Jones, who has a rare genetic condition which means she plays with a modified grip, has defied the odds to compete among the elite.
The world number 71 was born with Ectrodactyly Ectodermal Dysplasia (EEC), leaving her with three fingers and a thumb on each hand, three toes on her right foot and four toes on her left.
Doctors told the Yorkshire-born player to forget about playing professionally and the physical challenges have continued during her career.
After a difficult 2024 and finding herself outside the world’s top 150, Jones decided to retire if her results and ranking did not improve in the next season.
Instead, she made 2025 the best year of her career and will hope to continue that progress when she takes on Polish qualifier Linda Klimovicova in her Melbourne opener on Monday.
“I was very serious [about retiring]. It was a case of going all out for one more year,” said Jones, who has received direct entry into a Grand Slam for the first time.
“If I would have been [ranked] 101, I wasn’t going to quit. But it was a feeling that I had.
“It was smaller objectives that, if I completed those, would have led to me being in the top 100.”
The ultimatum paid off spectacularly.
Jones won the biggest title of her career in July – a WTA 125 event on the rung below the main tour – then clinched another trophy at the same level to crack the top 100.
In August, she secured a maiden main-draw appearance at the US Open by coming through three rounds of qualifying as the top seed.
Jones then started this year by stunning American world number 15 Emma Navarro for the biggest win of her career by ranking.
Asked what direction she might have taken if she had retired, Jones said working in an industry with “fast-decision making” appealed.
She took exams to become a financial adviser during the coronavirus pandemic and took a trip with Emma Raducanu to explore colleges at Oxford University in 2024.
“I have always been academic. For me, it was always a big thing in my life to make sure I could take my brain elsewhere,” Jones said.
“Tennis challenges you and stimulates you in a way that I don’t think you can replicate with probably anything else.”
When the time does come to walk away from the tour, Jones thinks she would take a “passion project” before deciding on the next stage of her life.
“I love law and politics but, at the same time, I think post-tennis it’s important to not rush into anything else,” she added.
