AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 19, 2026

Francesca Jones

Press Conference

L. KLIMOVICOVA/F. Jones

6-2, 3-2 (Ret.)

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. (Off microphone).

FRANCESCA JONES: I normally stay under control in front of you guys, but I might struggle today.

Obviously I was harboring a bit of an injury from Auckland in the right leg, and frustratingly, that injury has actually really been quite good, considering it was bigger than we first projected.

So I haven't really played that many points or moved that much in the last, like, ten days. Unfortunately, 2-1 to 2-2 I went for a slice, and the leg that I had injured, I slipped on it and fell.

From that point, it was the groin last week or whenever it was, ten days ago, and then from that point I felt something pull in my glute.

Wasn't obviously really sure what to do. I tried to see if it would kind of settle, but obviously aware of, like, then multiple injuries in one leg. Very difficult to think about the match at that point.

Obviously I'm at a career high. 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.

Then I'm just having that internal debate. I've honestly got no bloody clue what happened after that point in the match. For me, it was just -- I was actually serving quite well, considering I wasn't really jumping, so I was, like, maybe if I can just keep serving, and then for me, it was if she breaks me, I don't really have a way back, because I couldn't really run down points.

Q. We've never really seen you in this kind of state. Explain a bit more about why you're so upset at this stage.

FRANCESCA JONES: Because I'm at a career high, and I'm playing good tennis. Started the year really well. My tennis is in a good place.

I think, for me, I think as I maybe alluded to the other day, playing this level week in, week out is what my team and I have to change. I'm aware the player today was lower-ranked, albeit can't take any credit away from her. She passed the quallies.

It was probably the worst game style for me to get, because I was going to have to move because it was a fast ball speed, and that was something for me that it was irrelevant if she was a qualifier or not. I cared much more about the game style coming off the back of the injury.

I think, you know, to be fair, it could have just been something acute where I've just been really unlucky and slipped, and it's the same leg. You know, that is what it is.

I think my team and I have to really debrief about that. I think I have to think about a few things around what's best for me next and moving forward if we need, you know, if we need more expertise coming in to see how I then push up my physical capacity.

But, at the same time, I backed up two three-set matches in Auckland. It's the start of the year. I think there's been multiple retirements this week. You know, Felix, I think, retired earlier today. I think, you know, we're vulnerable at the start of the year.

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.

Q. Do you need specialist input, probably because you have more challenges than other athletes in your position?

FRANCESCA JONES: Again, I'm not 100% sure if I can conclude that right now. I think that's something I need to speak to my team about. If there's one thing that I can say with 100% face, my team are very humble too. If they believe we need someone else, there's no ego, they will tell me.

So I think that's something that we, as a team, will sit down and discuss. I do believe that, for me, it is a case of trying to build up that road and that capacity at this level, and I'm only going to do that by exposing myself to it. But, of course, I need to be fit to do that.

The reality is right now recovering from the right hip generally with everything that's going on is key to be ready for Indian Wells and everything in time.

Q. How difficult is it when you're in that situation out there to sort of think logically, like you said, about the fact that your ranking can get you into those Masters, and you want to put yourself in the best position for that as well as being here?

FRANCESCA JONES: It's really tough, because I'm terrible at reigning it in. I'm someone that I push myself too far, but obviously, you know, without saying too much, April last year I pushed myself too far. That was not the right thing in the moment either.

I think, for me, I struggle with that, because it's against my identity to come off a court. Yeah, I've done it on so many occasions because whenever I've gone too far, something big has happened. That's not something that a position I should put myself in either.

So I think for me, specifically with my personality and character, I find it really -- sorry, I was about to swear -- really, really challenging. That's something that I'm trying to work out, but yeah, I think probably every player goes through it in different ways. With me, that's the battle.

Q. How challenging as well is it mentally for you? I think we can see it today, but the mental aftermath of picking yourself back up from the retirements, because obviously you've had a few here over the years and a few elsewhere as well, how difficult is that?

FRANCESCA JONES: It kills me that it's here, because this slam, I absolutely adore. It was my first main-draw slam I ever played. It's now my first direct entry.

I love being here. I love Australia. I love Melbourne. I've got a lot of friends here. My parents came out this time. It hurts a lot.

But if I was someone that didn't know how to pick myself up quickly, would be F'd. I don't know what the better way to say that is. I'd have no capacity to be where I am right now.

So I let it all out, kicked and screamed for an hour, and now I've just been sat, speaking to them about where do we go from here. I think now I'm in a privileged position, right, and so I need to try and lean on that more than ever in the sense that I am at a career high, and it's only not even two weeks ago I beat someone top-10, top-15. I'm not sure what she is right now.

I think I have to try and lean on that, but of course, you know, when it's happening a lot, it's frustrating. For me, I'm very, like, let it all out, and then let's be productive. As I said the other day, if I feel like I've not got more to give, I'll be the first person to say I've got somewhere else to give.

But right now I think I'm just building, and I need to try and focus on that building.

Q. I know you've always said you don't want to be defined by the physical stuff. You don't want to make any excuses, but how hard is it sort of not to become frustrated?

FRANCESCA JONES: I don't relate to any of the retirements and things directly to what, you know, could be referred to as "kid with a syndrome." I don't relate to any of that.

I think what I relate it to, and I feel like I might have spoken about it a while back, is that I don't think I had a team in place and the expertise that I needed from a younger age.

So my age might say 25, but my physical journey, I'm still quite early in. I think that's where, you know, my tennis level is so much higher than my physical journey, and I'm trying to match those up every year and every time.

Like last year I'm playing almost like a top-10 calendar. I don't think I picked 20 events, or whatever it was. Like, I'm trying to build and be careful and choose wisely where I play.

So I think for me it's a case of continuing to do that and continuing to see my physical journey through.

I might be like your Pegulas or Sakkaris or those players who peaked really bloody high, and I would be very happy to peak how they have, but where they've peaked at those latter ages of their career. Jess came back after, I believe, it was an ACL or at least a big knee injury. Then it was only after that where she truly started building.

I try and use those players as inspiration. 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 know that I've got my head screwed on enough to know when I need to look for more expertise and when I need to just stick at it, because sometimes it's really easy to overthink things and think you need X, Y, and Z. The reality is you just need to stick out the journey, and it's a bump within that journey that's already the right one.