Francesca Jones, 20-year-old British player, ranked 241st in the world, won a Grand Slam qualifying match on Monday for the first time. Covid-19 requires, it is in Dubai, where the women’s pre-tournament of the Australian Open is held, that the Briton sharply beat the Romanian Niculescu (6-3, 6-2).
A special victory therefore for a player… who has only eight fingers! Born with a rare genetic disease (a form of ectodermal dysplasia), the young woman from Leeds has only four fingers on each hand and one foot, three fingers on the other foot …
To carve out a place for himself in the world of tennis, he had to show great courage and tenacity. “Several doctors said that I will never become a professional player,” she told the BBC. When, at eight or nine, you were told that there were certain things that you couldn’t do, many would be heartbroken, but I just took it before I found a way to prove them wrong. “
“I just play this game with different strengths”
From the age of ten, Francesca joined the Sanchez Casal academy in Barcelona (Spain). With suitable equipment (light racket and very small grip) and exercises based on balance and technique, she manages to compensate for her physical handicap and draws enormous mental strength from it.
“I’ve always seen it as an advantage,” she continues. It allowed me to get ahead in many areas. I learned to be independent, and I also learned a lot about myself and about life. There are some things that I have to work on more physically than the other players, but I don’t mind. I knew what I was getting myself into, and I like challenges. “
Jones, who will face Croatia’s Fett on Tuesday in the second round, has two more steps to take to get into the big picture. “The way I see it is that I just play this game with different strengths,” she hisses. But that doesn’t mean these cards can’t win. I prove to myself that I can do what I want and I encourage others to do the same because I think there are too many children who are limited by what others say… ”
