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

After the British number three saw a broken leg, Francesca Jones, a heartfelt athlete, vowed to recover and improve herself.

After struggling with a glute problem from the beginning of her first-round match against Polish qualifier Linda Klimovicova, Jones was left sobbing on the court.

The distraught 25-year-old attempted to continue but was ultimately defeated by a score of 6-2, 3-2.

The 71-year-old world player defies the doctors who predicted she would never play professionally because of a rare genetic condition called “play with a modified grip.”

I would not be where I am right now if I were someone who didn’t know how to pick myself up quickly, Jones said.

Jones was born with Ectrodactyly Ectodermal Dysplasia (EEC), has three fingers and a thumb on each hand, three toes on her right foot, and four toes on her left.

After a challenging 2024, when she discovered herself outside the top 150 of the world, Jones intended to retire in 2025.

Instead, she had a transformative season that gave her newfound vigor.

For the first time in his career, Jones had been automatically entered into the Australian Open main draw, but this saddened him.

As Jones sobbed loudly in the third set while receiving treatment, the court was in a depressing state.

As Jones limped off with a towel over her head, the crowd applauded her.

Since the start of the 2023 season, she has 16 games to play.

According to Jones, “I don’t relate any retirements to what might be called a “kid with a syndrome” directly.

“I don’t believe I had the skills I needed when I was younger,” I say in response.

On day two of Melbourne, men’s eighth seed Felix Auger-Aliassime and qualifier Marina Stakusic, who were both taken off court in a wheelchair, were both forced to retire due to cramps.

Although it was common for players to compete in much higher temperatures, the temperature in Melbourne was 30C.

The Australian Open’s heat stress score was 1. 4 out of 5 for “temperature playing conditions” by mid-afternoon.

The group that included Canada’s Auger-Aliassime in the Australian Open was confident that Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz would challenge for the men’s title.

After finishing last season in style, including a run to the US Open semi-finals, the 25-year-old rose into the top five.

Despite facing Portugal’s Nuno Borges in the opening set, he fell at the first hurdle in Melbourne.

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

The dramatic Stakusic-related dramatic scenes were driven by ramping.

The 127-year-old world number lost to Priscilla Hon in the third set of her first-round match against Canada.

Stakusic’s leg spasm, which she had to stop when she was trailing 1-6, 6-4, 5-3, did not improve with an ice rubdown.

Former world number five and semi-finalist of the 2008 Australian Open, Daniela Hantuchova, on BBC Radio 5 Live.

The conditions in Melbourne can be very challenging, which is what you might anticipate, but I must admit that today’s conditions weren’t that bad.

“Cramp could include having a heavy meal or not drinking enough the night before.”

When you’re putting so much mental energy out there, it can sometimes have a lot to do with the nerves.