Australia’s next big thing could be arriving quicker than anticipated, with junior world No.1 Emerson Jones stunning the world No.37 in her WTA main draw debut.
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Jones, 16, upset Wang Xinyu 6-4 6-0 at the Adelaide International, booking a second round clash with world No.9 Daria Kasatkina.
Coming from a break down in the opening set, the Queenslander proved why her graduation to face top-level talent has been eagerly awaited.
“I’m actually pretty surprised, pretty shocked,” she said post-match.
“I didn’t think I’d even get a wildcard for this tournament, so winning a round is pretty special.
“Sometimes I get a bit ahead of myself, so today I was trying to focus on each point and not get ahead of myself.
“The message (from my team) was no pressure, go out and play my best because I wasn’t expected to win.”
She added: “It’s exciting to be compared to Ash Barty and to know she’s done all of this.
“I just think we’re all on our different journeys … I just want to see how I go and focus on myself.”
Jones became the first Aussie girl to reach the top spot in the junior rankings since Jelena Dokic in 1998, and was awarded a wildcard into the main draw of the Australian Open, where she’ll make her grand slam debut next week.
Australian junior world No.1s in the past 20 years
Jason Kubler (2009)
Luke Saville (2011)
Nick Kyrgios (2012)
Emerson Jones (2024)
*Ash Barty peaked at No.2 in 2011
Even as a teenager she has beaten some of the top Aussie women on tour, including on her way to winning the ITF W75 Sydney title last October, where she beat perennial Melbourne Park wildcard contenders Lizette Cabrera, Destanee Aiava, Talia Gibson and Taylah Preston.
At junior level in 2024, Jones made the finals of the Australian Open and Wimbledon, both times losing in straight sets to Slovakia’s Renata Jamrichova (who is almost a year older).
Jones’ mum Loretta Harrop was an Olympic silver medallist in the triathlon at Athens 2004, while her dad Brad was an excellent Aussie rules player in Queensland.
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