Australia’s Emerson Jones says she wants to crack the top 100 on the WTA rankings this season, having gained confidence from a promising Brisbane International campaign.
Jones reached the second round in Brisbane after stunning 2022 Wimbledon semifinalist Tatjana Maria in her opening match.
The 6-3, 6-3 result was Jones’s second win over a top-50 opponent in the early stages of her professional career.
The 17-year-old exited the tournament on Wednesday via a 6-4, 6-1 loss to world number 17 Liudmila Samsonova.
It was only the second time Jones had played a top-20 player.
She lost to Kazakhstan’s world number five and 2022 Wimbledon champion, Elena Rybakina, in her Australian Open debut last year.
Ranked 147 in the world, Jones said she wanted to build on her solid showing in Brisbane.
“It is going to give me more confidence to be honest,” said Jones, who was awarded a wildcard into this month’s Australian Open main draw.
“That (round-one victory) is the second top-50 win of my life, and this is my second time against a top-20 player.
“These experiences and knowing that I have played these women before at this level, I can definitely come into the match knowing how they play, and it gives me confidence.
“By the end of last year, my coach and I wanted to crack the top 150, and it was great that I got to do that right at the end.Â
“Trying to make the top 100 [this year] is a goal we’d love to crack.”
Emerson Jones defeated Tatjana Maria in straight sets to move through to the second round. (Getty Images: Bradley Kanaris)
In 2024, Jones rose to become Australia’s first junior girls world number one since Jelena Dokic in 1998.
Australian tennis legend Ash Barty recently hailed Jones as one of the best young players she had seen.
Jones said she admired Barty but hoped to forge her own path.
“I’ve had that (comparison) for a while, since last year. It doesn’t really put any pressure on me,” she said.
“Everyone compares me to Ash, but Ash has her own journey, and I think she did absolutely amazing. It would be amazing to achieve what she did.
“I focus on myself, and that definitely works for me.”
ABC Sport will have live coverage of the Australian Open from January 18.
Jones will juggle her final year of high school with tennis, but is comfortable making her sporting career the top priority.
“Hopefully I am going to get given a lot of opportunities this summer … and in the middle of the year,” Jones said.
“School is there. It’s not my priority, but I am going to finish school, and hopefully that is the end of it for me. I don’t want to touch books after that.
“I am just going to focus on my tennis. I am doing a pretty good job of it all, handling myself.”
AAP