Brit tennis player Francesca Jones leaves court in wheelchair after mid-match collapse

Brit tennis player Francesca Jones had to leave the court in a wheelchair after collapsing during a match.

The 24-year-old, who is ranked 219 in the world, was competing in the Colsanitas Cup in Bogota when she collapsed in the middle of a match.

In footage of the incident posted to social media, Jones appeared to stagger after failing to return a serve from Argentina’s Julia Riera in the third set and was unable to return to play.

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She fell to the ground and was removed from the court in a wheelchair.

Jones’ retirement from the tournament was confirmed in an online statement.

“Due to a physical issue, Francesca Jones has withdrawn from her match against Julia Riera at 6-2 5-7 5-3 in favor of the Argentinian,” the Colsanitas Cup’s official X account said. “We wish the British tennis player a speedy recovery.”

Riera will next face America’s Iva Jovic in the round of 16. In the US, British number seven Heather Watson suffered a straight-sets defeat in the first round of the Charleston Open.

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The 32-year-old was beaten 7-6 (8) 6-4 by Belarusian world number 215 Iryna Shymanovich.

Watson saved three set points during a tight opener but could not capitalise on her one opportunity to seize the initiative during the tie break.

The world number 182 was broken four times in set two, including in her final two service games, as Shymanovich progressed to a last-32 meeting with top seed Jessica Pegula, the beaten finalist at last year’s US Open.

Bradford-born Francesca JonesBradford-born Francesca Jones
Bradford-born Francesca Jones | Jonathan DiMaggio/Getty Images

Who is Francesca Jones?

Francesca Jones was born in Bradford in September 2000. She made her Grand Slam debut in 2021 at the Australian Open and has been on the women’s tour since then.

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Bogota’s Copa Colsanitas was the venue for her first WTA semifinal in 2023, and she reached her first WTA 125 final last year at the San Luis Open. She was given a sildcard to Wimbledon last summer, losing in the first round.

She was born with three fingers and a thumb on each hand, a condition called Ectrodactyly Ectodermal Dysplasia, which also sees her have three toes on one foot and four on another. She says she has used this condition to inspire herself, telling Made in Leeds when she was 16 that: “I have had many doctors tell me that I can’t do what I want to do and my motto in life is ‘the greatest thing in life is to do what people say you can’t do’.”

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