When Emerson Jones jetted off to Europe last year, the talented Australian teenager hit the court with former world No.1 and 2019 French Open champion Ash Barty for a session helping to adjust her to the nuances required to succeed on clay.
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The 16-year-old, who will make her Australian Open debut against former Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina, also hit with the Aussie star at the All England Club last July, which came three years after Barty’s brilliant success there.
As she seeks to tackle one of the world’s very best players, Jones might want to tap into the knowledge of the three-time major winner given Barty’s record against Rybakina, who assumed the crown at Wimbledon the year after Barty’s triumph.
The 2022 Australian Open champion was a convincing winner in both her outings against the powerful Kazakh player, beating her in Melbourne in 2020 and in the final of the Adelaide International a fortnight before her drought-breaking triumph on Rod Laver Arena.
“She’s always helped out with hitting and giving me advice before I play (the) bigger tournaments,” Jones said on Saturday.
First things first though. Jones is of similar stature to Barty, shares her state of origin and is the first Aussie since the champ to become the world’s No.1 ranked junior. She is an incredibly gifted junior, which has sparked obvious comparisons.
But she is a different player and her own person. Barty has been at pains to state this, so too Tennis Australia officials, while Jones is mindful she has her own journey to follow.
“I think it’s great when people say that I’m following in Ash Barty’s footsteps. Obviously she was a crazy tennis player (with) unreal results,” she said.
“I’ve obviously got my own journey. I think it’s pretty special when people say stuff like that. Obviously it’s going to take a lot to get where she was.”
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Making the transition from being an outstanding junior to a senior star is no sure thing and the Jones’ camp is keen to emphasise the Gold Coaster is on a learning curve.
Carlos Caudrado, a former Spanish professional who won the Roland Garros boys singles in 2001, is coaching the right-hander and said Jones has the characteristics to progress.
“We are definitely focused on the process. We take it day by day. We are not in a rush,” he said.
“We are here to learn, to have fun, to compete, to try to win. But we are aware (that she is) 16-years-old and (has) a lot to learn.
“I think we are going to definitely keep (the) focus on that, training hard. She trains very hard. That is one of her best skills as well and (it is a) great ingredient to have for the future. The rest, it will just come along.”
The daughter of former Olympian Loretta Harrop and ex-QAFL player Brad Jones, Jones describes herself as an aggressive and brave player on the court.
Having witnessed her at Roland Garros and at Wimbledon last year, she has a fierce determination on the court and is blessed with the ability to reassess and adjust in matches, while also presenting as a polite interview afterwards.
She demonstrated her capacity in the Adelaide International this week when defeating world No.37 Wang Xinyu to claim a maiden WTA Tour victory before pushing the 9th ranked Daria Kasatkina in an impressive effort.
Jones said realising she can compete with players of that calibre “is exciting” while her coach, who works for Tennis Australia, added that it had adjusted his mindset as well.
“It made me realise she can beat anybody, which was a great thing to see,” he said.
“I also realised that her level lifts when she plays against better players, which is a very good skill to have. At the end of the day, the opponent will push her and give her the level.
“In training we create our structure, our way to play, our strategies. But at the end of the day, playing against these great players will push her up. That was great to see in competition.”
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