THE CHAMPIONSHIPS

June 29, 2026

Francesca Jones

Press Conference

D. PARRY/F. Jones

6-4, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Tough loss today. Just give us your thoughts on the match.

FRANCESCA JONES: Obviously she's been, you know, in quite good form at the back end of the clay season, just sort of went an extra sort of level up. You know, she's had some good wins this year and in the past, as well. Big thing is she's got a very good serve.

That's the hardest part about playing someone that's got a big serve on the grass. It's not easy to get into the games. Ultimately the difference is one break each set, which is always frustrating.

So, yeah, I mean, I think very tricky opponent first round. I have had some tough draws over the years here, which is hopefully one day the luck will switch.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Talk us through your emotions. Obviously you come here and you obviously want to do as well as you can, get on a run. You played really well today. Just didn't get those breaks, as you say.

FRANCESCA JONES: Thank you. Yeah, I mean, it's so frustrating. I mean, yeah, that's the best I can come up with. I normally got quite a lot of words. But I think frustration is the best way to put it.

I did play well. You know, I created chances in the match. Couple of missed volleys in the 4-5 game in the first set, and then double fault and missed forehand in the break in the second. So the difference truly is a couple of points.

Probably that's the difference between me and the top 50 right now, a couple of points. I have comfortably proven myself between the 50 and 100 mark, and I've had some great wins within the top 50. But I think to meet that next step, the difference, couple of points, just details.

Q. There has been 10 Brits today. They've all lost. Is it very simplistic to say we should do better? You're a tennis player. How do you view that sort of thing?

FRANCESCA JONES: I think it's fair to say there were some bloody tough draws. I really do. Obviously Harriet playing Ostapenko, and then Emma pulling out last minute. I actually didn't understand why Jelena didn't go into Emma's spot. I thought she was the next seed.

You've have had some tough opponents there. You know, Hannah played ex-champion. I'm playing someone that's just come on a run of, like, very good wins. Made third, fourth round here before.

I think couple of the boys had a lot of seeds. You know, I think it's really tough to -- it will create bad headlines probably slightly unfairly. I think with some of the draws that people are handed. It was always going to be difficult.

But yeah, no one can hide from the heaviness of Wimbledon. It's important to everyone, and I'm sure it played a factor being at the home slam, but I'm pretty sure it happened to the French as well at Roland Garros. They didn't have a great one either.

Q. Obviously Jack pulled out, as well. Really sad when they have injuries. You obviously have sympathy for them. Do you feel people are playing too much tennis? Why are we getting so many injuries across the board?

FRANCESCA JONES: I'm not sure about the too much tennis. I'm one of the people that probably shies away from it a little bit. I would say mostly if we could just periodize the calendar a bit more. So I don't think there is an issue with amount of tournaments.

I think I explained in Roland Garros, for me the difference would be could we just have a break in the middle of the season like F1 do where they have, like, a three-week break. That would be my first point. My second point would be too many changes of balls.

I mean, the Slazenger balls are ridiculously heavy. My first week of training on grass I've got (indiscernible) in my arms, and yet my grip isn't the same as everyone else's. But my coach who lifts a lot in the gym, the first week he feels it as well.

I would say the biggest thing across the board is the change of balls, and then the balls that we are using, they have become heavier and heavier.

Q. You're playing one tournament one week and quite likely to go to another tournament or another surface and play with another ball.

FRANCESCA JONES: Obviously with the grass season we play with Slazenger, and that's great. But it is a really heavy ball. I appreciate that it's necessary on the grass. I mean, if we play with a fast ball on the grass, it's going to be crap for spectators.

I won't complain much about Slazenger, because I think it's necessary for the surface, but I would say that for other tournaments, I know that there is an intention and they are trying to kind of -- you see Dunlop most of the time nowadays, but there is the different types of Dunlop balls. And then all of a sudden, you know, in the slightly lower level, there is no consistency of balls.

You know, for example, in the 250s now in summer, I'm going to put my hand on fire and say each 250 on the clay, on the hard, is different balls.

I think maybe there has to be, like across the tour and the different tiers, from the 250s and the 500s as well, because, yeah, it's something that I do think that we see quite a lot of upper limb injuries.

Q. You obviously know Emma very well, and you have seen her go through a fair share of setbacks. Do you have confidence she will brush this one off and get back on the horse as soon as possible?

FRANCESCA JONES: Yeah, I mean, she's done it before. She'll probably do it again. I would say the three of us have been through a lot, Jack, Emma, and I, probably the three that have had it tough over the years, but I don't know.

This is where you show what you're made of, right? It's tough. Yeah, I mean, I'd say I have spent more time off court than most people, to be honest. It's tough. My only advice is you either commit with conviction or it's better to just give yourself some space.

Q. Obviously it's a tough time now, but when you reflect on the whole year you had a top-50 win to start, you won at French. Going to U.S., once you recover from this, go and finish the year on a positive note?

FRANCESCA JONES: Yeah, I mean, I'm likely to be in qualifying for the U.S. just because I missed so much of the start of the year with injuries and the points I've got to defend.

But every match I play on the grass I have seen better elements. Every time I have left Wimbledon I have actually won a tournament every single time in July. I think for me, I mean, I probably just bloody jinxed it now with my luck this year.

But I'd say for me with the level I've got, it's just a question of time with trying to find some consistency, momentum, and as long as I can just say, you know, stay mentally sane, which tennis can push you, then I'm hopeful that hopefully I can get back here next year with a little bit more under my belt.