British number three Fran Jones broke down in tears on court as her Australian Open journey ended in agony at the first hurdle.
Having arrived in Melbourne unsure whether she would be fit enough to play because of a groin problem, Jones suffered a gluteal injury in the same right leg after an early stumble against Polish qualifier Linda Klimovicova.
Jones became more emotional as the contest went on and, after seeking medical help early in the second set, she decided she could not continue trailing 6-2 3-2.
The 25-year-old could be heard sobbing as she lay on the court receiving treatment, and she was still emotional a couple of hours later as she discussed what happened in her press conference.
‘I normally stay under control in front of you guys, but I might struggle today,’ said Jones through tears.
‘I went for a slice, and the leg that I had injured, I slipped on it and fell. I felt something pull in my glute. I tried to see if it would settle but obviously aware of then multiple injuries in one leg. Very difficult to think about the match at that point.
British star Fran Jones broke down in tears as her Australian Open journey came to an end
The 25-year-old has overcome major physical challenges in her career and has vowed to fight on
‘Obviously, I’m at a career-high (ranking). I’m probably in the main draws of the Masters, and then you are thinking, should I continue? Do I fight because it’s a slam? There’s money, there’s points on the line. Equally, with my history, it’s probably not the smartest thing to keep pushing.’
Jones is unfortunately no stranger to retirements and has had to overcome major physical challenges linked to a genetic condition that means she only has three fingers and a thumb on each hand and seven toes.
She gave herself an ultimatum last season that she would quit if she did not reach the top 100 and, having hit a career high of 69 last week following a first top-20 win over Emma Navarro, she is now determined to find a way to compete at the top level week in, week out.
‘It kills me that it’s here because, this slam, I absolutely adore,’ said Jones. ‘It was my first main draw slam I ever played. It’s now my first direct entry. If I was someone that didn’t know how to pick myself up quickly, I would be F’d.
‘So I let it all out, kicked and screamed for an hour, and now I’ve just been sat, speaking to (my team) about where do we go from here.
‘I don’t relate any of the retirements and things directly to what could be referred to as ‘kid with a syndrome’. I don’t think I had a team in place and the expertise that I needed from a younger age.
‘I was never a natural athlete, and I’m not looking for that to be the case, but I do believe that there’s still a long way to go.
‘I think I have to think about a few things around what’s best for me next and moving forward if we need more expertise coming in to see how I then push up my physical capacity.
‘It may be a case of don’t overthink it, recover and be ready, but I don’t know if that’s something I can be clear on right now.’
