‘I’ll pick myself up’ – sobbing Jones among Australian Open retirements

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 in place 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.”

Cramping was the root of the dramatic scenes involving Stakusic.

The Canadian world number 127 went down in the third set of her first-round match against Australia’s Priscilla Hon.

A rubdown with ice did not improve the spasm in Stakusic’s leg, forcing her to quit when trailing 1-6 6-4 5-3.

Medical staff and Hon helped her in to a wheelchair before the 21-year-old was taken off court.

Daniela Hantuchova, 2008 Australian Open semi-finalist and former world number five, on BBC Radio 5 Live

“It can be very tough [the conditions] and that’s what you expect in Melbourne but I have to say the conditions today were not that extreme.

“Cramp could be something like not drinking enough the night before or having a heavy meal.

“Sometimes it has a lot to do with the nerves because when you’re spending so much mental energy out there.

“As a player, it’s the worst feeling. You know people are watching and all the pre-season has been working to this moment so you have to feel really bad for Felix and Marina.”