Oakland Classic: Francesca Jones beats Emma Navarro for biggest career win

This performance clearly shows that Jones has the ability and confidence to have the best season of his career in 2025.

Breaking into the world’s top 100 last year was a rich reward for a player who has persevered despite being plagued by a host of physical problems linked to a rare genetic disease.

Jones was born with ectodermal dysplasia of the digits (EEC), which means she has three fingers and a thumb on each hand, three toes on her right foot and four on her left foot.

Doctors told the Yorkshire-born player not to play professional tennis again, but she defied the odds.

Last season, Jones considered retiring if he didn’t achieve his goals. Instead, she enjoyed the most productive season of her career to date.

Jones won the biggest title of her career in July at the WTA 125 event, a level below the major tours, and then moved into the top 100 with her second win at that level.

In August, she advanced through three rounds of qualifying as the top seed and entered the main draw of the U.S. Open for the first time.

Now, Jones is ranked in the world’s top 70 for the first time after defeating Navarro, and she will be even higher if she defeats Austrian Sinja Kraus (ranked 108th) in the second round of the ASB Classic.