Debuting in a Grand Slam at the age of 20 it is quite an achievement. But can you imagine doing it by holding a racket with only eight fingers? It is the case of Francesca Jones (Bradford, England), who managed to overcome the previous phase of the Australian Open despite having the ectrodactyly-ectodermal dysplasia syndrome. The English woman has the disability of having four fingers on each hand, three on the right foot and four on the left, which has not stopped him from progressing from ITF tournaments to the first major of the calendar.
Young, hard-working and fighter, these are the qualities that best define Jones, who through effort has managed to make a niche for himself in the elite. He will make his Ocean Grand Slam debut this Tuesday against Shelby Rogers, A shock that is presumed unequal if we look at the difference in ranking (245th in the world for the British, 60th for the United States), but not because of their slight disability. “The worst thing you can do is tell me I can't do something. One day he doctor told me that my body was not built to be an athlete or a professional tennis player, But my parents told me that I could be whatever I wanted. And I believed them … At that moment I decided to do it; Those words achieved the opposite, they prompted me to be that determined, “explains Rogers in an interview with El País.
N E V E R G I V E U P ????
Francesca Jones proves that Ectrodactyly Ectodermal Dysplasia does not define her as she move one step closer to the @AustralianOpen main draw ????
– ITF (@ITFTennis) January 12, 2021
With that determination, the good of Frany, as her relatives know her, overcoming adversities such as the ten operations she has undergone since she was a child and the fine handles that she uses on her rackets, made to measure for her by the Wilson brand. But there are no excuses, no time to mourn for Jones, something that is not surprising considering who has been his source of inspiration in the sport: “Rafa (Nadal), Rafa has always inspired me greatly in his work ethic. That, and that we share the excitement for the game and the competition. “Living in Barcelona since she was 10 years old (she speaks perfectly Spanish), a little piece of the Spanish fans will be with her in Melbourne.