Summary:
- Britain’s Francesca Jones was forced to quit her first-round match against Linda Klimovicova due to a glute injury.
- Jones battled through pain but ultimately trailed 6-2, 3-2 before retiring.
- The tournament also witnessed early retirements from Felix Auger-Aliassime and Marina Stakusic.
Day two at the 2026 Australian Open brought a reminder of how quickly a tournament can turn, with injuries and physical issues cutting short several promising runs.
For Britain’s Francesca Jones, it was a heartbreaking end to what should have been a milestone moment. Playing in the main draw in Melbourne for the first time, the 25-year-old was forced to retire from her opening-round match against Polish qualifier Linda Klimovicova, overcome by injury and emotion.
Early Game Struggles
Jones was clearly struggling from the early games, moving cautiously and unable to push off properly. She fought on, but the toll was obvious.
Trailing 6-2, 3-2, she finally had to stop, breaking down in tears as she received treatment on court. The crowd watched in silence before offering warm applause as she limped away, a towel pulled over her head.
The problem on Monday was her glute, adding to a groin issue that had already forced her out of a match at last week’s Auckland International. Jones took a medical timeout after the first set and needed further attention twice in the second.
When she was broken to love in the fifth game, the writing was on the wall. After briefly returning to her feet, she signalled to Klimovicova that she could not continue.
Pushing Through Limits
The exit was especially cruel given the journey that brought Francesca Jones here. Born with a rare genetic condition that requires her to use a modified grip, she has spent her career pushing past physical limits just to compete.
After a tough 2024 that saw her ranking slide outside the top 150, she had even planned to step away from the sport in 2025 if things did not turn around. Instead, she produced a season good enough to earn direct entry into the Australian Open, making Monday’s match both a proud achievement and a painful ending.
Jones was not the only player stopped in their tracks. Early retirements became a theme across the grounds. Men’s eighth seed Felix Auger-Aliassime also failed to finish his first-round match, undone by cramp 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. I don’t have all the answers now.
The Canadian had arrived in Melbourne with high expectations after a strong end to last season, but left early as his body let him down.
There were worrying scenes, too, in the women’s draw. Canadian qualifier Marina Stakusic collapsed with severe cramps during her match against Australia’s Priscilla Hon.
When ice treatment failed to help, the 21-year-old was eventually helped into a wheelchair and taken off the court, ending her Australian Open debut in distressing fashion.
Even with moderate temperatures by Melbourne standards, day two served as a stark reminder that at this level, physical limits can arrive without warning.
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