Emerson Jones Explained

Emerson Jones
Birth Date:7 July 2008
Birth Place:Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia
Plays:Right-handed (two-handed backhand)
Coach:David Taylor
Careerprizemoney:$32,384
Singlestitles:0
Highestsinglesranking:No. 634 (27 May 2024)
Currentsinglesranking:No. 634 (27 May 2024)
Australianopenresult:Q1 (2024)
Australianopenjuniorresult:F (2024)
Frenchopenjuniorresult:3R (2023)
Wimbledonjuniorresult:F (2024)
Usopenjuniorresult:1R (2023)
Doublestitles:0
Highestdoublesranking:No. 1112 (27 May 2024)
Currentdoublesranking:No. 1112 (27 May 2024)
Australianopendoublesjuniorresult:2R (2023, 2024)
Frenchopendoublesjuniorresult:SF (2024)
Wimbledondoublesjuniorresult:SF (2024)
Usopendoublesjuniorresult:2R (2023)
Updated:27 May 2024

Emerson Jones (born 7 July 2008) is an Australian tennis player. She has a career high ITF junior combined ranking of No. 2, achieved on 27 May 2024.

Early life

Jones was born and raised on the Gold Coast, Queensland, where she attended Coomera Anglican College.[1] Her mother, Loretta Harrop, is an Olympic silver medallist triathlete and her father, Brad Jones, is a former Australian rules footballer who won the 1999 Grogan Medal.[2] Her brother, Hayden, is also a prodigious tennis player ranked inside the top 25 of the ITF juniors.[3] [4]

Junior career

Jones began playing ITF junior tournaments in August 2021 a few weeks after her 13th birthday when she was given a wildcard entry into a J5 tournament in her hometown of the Gold Coast in August 2021. She recorded several wins and reached the quarterfinals in her first ITF junior tournament.

Jones made her junior Grand Slam debut at 13 years of age at the 2022 Australian Open when she was given a main draw wildcard and defeated Cara Korhonen 6-0 6–1 in the first round before being eliminated in the second round. In August 2022 she won her first junior ITF tournament at the JB2 Sydney event and followed it up with a second title the following week at the J2 Sydney tournament. Her 2023 season included appearance in all four junior Grand Slam tournaments as well as two J300 and one J500 titles in the United States, Korea and Japan which allowed her to rise up the rankings and claim a top 10 spot leading into 2024.[5] [6]

She entered the 2024 season ranked inside the top 10 and started her season well by winning the J300 Traralgon tournament. The following week she entered the Australian Open as the sixth seed and reached her first junior Grand Slam final at 15 years of age.[7] She was defeated by Renáta Jamrichová in the final.[8] [9]

On 27 May 2024, Jones reached a career-high ITF junior combined ranking of No. 2, becoming the highest ranked Australian junior since Ashleigh Barty in 2011.[10]

At the 2024 French Open, Jones was upset in the first round by qualifier Daria Shadchneva.[11]

Professional career

At the age of 14, Jones received a wildcard into the qualifying draw of the Hobart International in January 2023, but lost in the first round to Tereza Martincová.[12] She qualified for her first professional tournament the following month at the ITF $25k event in Swan Hill. In July 2023, she reached her first ITF final at the $15k event in Caloundra, but lost to third seed Melisa Ercan.[13]

In October 2023, she qualified for the main draw of the City of Playford Tennis International, where she defeated Gabriella Da Silva-Fick in the first round before losing to Seone Mendez in the second. The following month, she received a wildcard into the main draw of the Gold Coast Tennis International, and reached the second round with an early retirement by Darya Astakhova.

Jones began her 2024 season with a wildcard into the main draw of the Canberra Tennis International, where she lost in the first round to sixth seed Wang Yafan. She received a wildcard into the qualifying draw of the Australian Open, but lost in the first round to Priscilla Hon.[14] [15] The following month, she received a wildcard into the main draw of the Burnie International II, where she defeated Tina Nadine Smith in the first round before losing to fifth seed Wei Sijia in the second. In March 2024, she reached her second ITF final at the $35k event in Swan Hill, but lost to Gabriella Da Silva-Fick.

ITF Circuit finals

Singles: 2 (2 runner-ups)

Legend
W25/35 tournaments (0–1)
W15 tournaments (0–1)
Finals by surface
Hard (0–1)
Grass (0–1)
ResultW–LDateTournamentTierSurfaceOpponentScore
Loss0–1Jul 2023ITF Caloundra, AustraliaW15Hard Melisa Ercan3–6, 0–6
Loss0–2Mar 2024ITF Swan Hill, AustraliaW35Grass Gabriella Da Silva-Fick6–3, 3–6, 1–6

Junior Grand Slam finals

Singles: 2 (2 runner-ups)

ResultYearTournamentSurfaceOpponentScore
Loss2024Australian OpenHard Renáta Jamrichová4–6, 1–6
Loss2024WimbledonGrass Renáta Jamrichová3–6, 4–6

Notes and References

  1. Web site: O’Brien . Connor . Kim Birrell returns to Coomera Anglican College as Fed Cup semi-final tie in Brisbane looms . . 3 June 2024 . 28 March 2019.
  2. Web site: Mee . Cameron . Close encounter has future tennis stars primed for Canberra International . . 3 June 2024 . 29 December 2023.
  3. Web site: McGowan . Marc . Sibling revelry: This brother-sister duo is the future of Australian tennis . . 3 June 2024 . 22 January 2024.
  4. Web site: Mansell . Jackson . Rogers . Leigh . Aussies at the Open: Jones siblings into junior singles quarterfinals . . 3 June 2024 . 24 January 2024.
  5. Web site: McLean . Ross . Jones, 15, becomes youngest Aussie girl since Barty to win J500 title . . 3 June 2024 . 16 October 2023.
  6. Web site: Rogers . Leigh . Junior ranking movers: Emerson Jones makes top-10 debut . . 3 June 2024 . 16 October 2023.
  7. Web site: Rogers . Leigh . Emerson Jones charges into Australian Open 2024 girls’ singles final . . 3 June 2024 . 26 January 2024.
  8. Web site: Rogers . Leigh . Aussies at the Open: Jones charges into AO 2024 girls' final . . 3 June 2024 . 26 January 2024.
  9. Web site: Conrad . Alex . Rival's 'beautiful' gesture as Aussie teen's bid to end 29-year drought falls short . . 3 June 2024 . 27 January 2024.
  10. Web site: Rogers . Leigh . Junior ranking movers: Emerson Jones rises to world No.2 . . 3 June 2024 . 29 May 2024.
  11. Web site: Rogers . Leigh . Top-seeded Australian junior out in opening-round upset at Roland Garros 2024 . . 4 June 2024 . 4 June 2024.
  12. Web site: Rogers . Leigh . Aussie hopes knocked out in Hobart International qualifying . . 4 June 2024 . 7 January 2023.
  13. Web site: Rogers . Leigh . Rising stars impress at Australian Pro Tour in Caloundra . . 4 June 2024 . 7 August 2023.
  14. Web site: Rogers . Leigh . Aussie teens record major breakthroughs in Australian Open 2024 qualifying . . 3 June 2024 . 9 January 2024.
  15. Web site: Rogers . Leigh . Mansell . Jackson . Aussies at the Open: Seven advance in qualifying . . 3 June 2024 . 9 January 2024.