Britain's Francesca Jones Wins First Grand Slam Match at French Open

Britain's Francesca Jones defeated Brazil's Beatriz Haddad Maia 1-6 7-6 (7-4) 6-2 on Sunday to reach the French Open second round. The victory marked Jones' first Grand Slam match win after six prior first-round exits across the four majors.

Jones' season Jones was born with the rare genetic condition Ectrodactyly Ectodermal Dysplasia and plays with a modified racquet grip. She moved from Bradford to Barcelona at age 10 and has recorded her strongest results on clay. Her 2026 season was disrupted by multiple injuries.

She retired from her Australian Open opener in January with a torn hip muscle and suffered a concussion in a gym accident when a 45 kg weight fell on her head and knee. "I would say this has been the hardest moment of my career, this year," Jones told BBC Sport.

She will next face Czech 27th seed Marie Bouzkova. Jones said the emotional impact of her injuries matched the physical effects. "It's been such a stop-start year, two steps forward, two steps back," she said. After the match, Jones celebrated with her parents, who watched from the stands in Paris.