Britain’s Francesca Jones sobbed loudly on court as injury wrecked her hopes of a first main-draw win at the Australian Open.
Early retirements became a theme on day two in Melbourne, with men’s eighth seed Felix Auger-Aliassime and qualifier Marina Stakusic – who was taken off court in a wheelchair – both forced to retire after cramping.
British number three Jones struggled to move from the early stages of her first-round match against Polish qualifier Linda Klimovicova on Monday.
The distraught 25-year-old valiantly tried to continue but ultimately quit when trailing 6-2 3-2.
A groin injury had forced Jones out of a match at last week’s Auckland International, but it was a glute problem that led to her retirement against Klimovicova.
She took a medical timeout at the end of the first set and received further attention from the physio after the third and fifth games of the second set.
The world number 71 was broken to love in the fifth game and was left in tears while receiving treatment.
After getting back to her feet, Jones signalled to Klimovicova that she could not continue.
There was a sombre atmosphere on the court, with the crowd applauding sympathetically as Jones limped off with a towel covering her head.
Jones, who has a rare genetic condition which means she plays with a modified grip, has defied the odds to compete among the elite.
After a difficult 2024 where she found herself outside the world’s top 150, Jones planned to retire in 2025 if her ranking did not improve.
Instead, she enjoyed a life-changing season that pumped new energy into her tennis career.
Jones had received direct entry into the Australian Open main draw for the first time, but this marked a sad exit to what had been a proud moment.
The heat hit 30C in Melbourne but it is common for players to compete in much higher temperatures. By mid-afternoon the Australian Open’s heat stress scale, read 1.4 out of five – deemed ‘temperature playing conditions’.
Canada’s Auger-Aliassime came into the Australian Open as part of the group tipped to challenge clear favourites Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner for the men’s title.
The 25-year-old surged into the world’s top five after finishing last season with a flourish, including a run to the US Open semi-finals.
But he fell at the first hurdle in Melbourne despite taking the opening set against Portugal’s Nuno Borges.
“I can’t recall ever in my life this [happening this] early in a tournament, this early in a match,” Auger-Aliassime said after quitting when trailing 3-6 6-4 6-4.
“I don’t have all the answers now.”
Cramping was the root of the dramatic scenes involving Stakusic.
The Canadian world number 127 went down in the third set of her first-round match against Australia’s Priscilla Hon.
A rubdown with ice did not improve the spasm in Stakusic’s leg, forcing her to quit when trailing 1-6 6-4 5-3.
Medical staff and Hon helped her in to a wheelchair before the 21-year-old was taken off court.
