Francesca Jones' Miami Open Victory Over Venus Williams
Francesca Jones recently earned a career-first WTA 1000 victory by defeating tennis legend Venus Williams 7-5, 7-5 at the Miami Open. Just weeks earlier, Jones had been practicing with Williams in Austin—an experience she described as a dream come true.
The match was tightly contested, with Jones twice rallying from 4-5 down in each set to seal the win. This triumph breaks a four-match losing streak for the 25-year-old, who next faces fifth seed Jessica Pegula.
Jones's achievement is especially inspiring given her ongoing physical challenges. Born with ectrodactyly ectodermal dysplasia, she has three fingers and a thumb on each hand and seven toes. Multiple surgeries limited her early athletic development, and injuries have frequently interrupted her career. Though she broke into the top 70 in 2025, she was forced to retire from the Australian Open earlier this year due to fitness issues.
"This win means a lot," Jones said. "It's been a really tough year, so I feel relieved."
For Williams, a three-time Miami champion, this marks her eighth consecutive defeat. However, she remains competitive and continues playing pain-free after surgery in 2024 for uterine fibroids.
In other Miami Open highlights, 17-year-old French wildcard Moïse Kouamé became the youngest man to win a Masters 1000 match since Rafael Nadal, fighting through cramps to advance. He later received a congratulatory message from Novak Djokovic, which left him nervously wondering how to reply.
World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz will open his campaign against 19-year-old João Fonseca, who won his first-round match in three sets.
