Who is Francesca Jones? Player with eight fingers and seven toes who made her US Open main draw debut in 2025

British tennis player Francesca Jones scripted another inspiring chapter in her unconventional career after qualifying for the 2025 US Open main draw. The 24-year-old from Bradford, who was born with Ectrodactyly Ectodermal Dysplasia — a rare genetic condition that left her with three fingers and a thumb on each hand and just seven toes — defied medical predictions that she could never compete professionally.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Doctors once told Jones to abandon her dream, but sheer determination, an early move to Barcelona at the age of nine, and years of hard training on Spanish clay shaped her into a top-level player. Earlier this summer, Jones climbed into the world’s top 100 for the first time after WTA 125 title wins in Contrexeville and Palermo, and she currently sits at No. 86.

Her journey to New York was equally remarkable. Seeded No. 1 in qualifying, she came through three rounds without dropping a set.

“I’ve always done things differently — so why should I change now?” Jones said after sealing her spot.
Asked why her parents Adele and Simon were not courtside for the milestone, Jones gave a light-hearted reply: “They’re not here because a dog sitter wasn’t available – the dogs come first!”

Jones admitted she took some inspiration from Carlos Alcaraz’s “Ibiza reset” after the French Open, enjoying a short holiday before returning to the grind.

“I thought I’d try the Alcaraz strategy. I went to Ibiza for a few days. It worked!” she laughed.Her bond with fellow Briton Emma Raducanu has also kept her grounded. “We speak every day… but we don’t really talk about tennis and I think that’s why it works,” Jones explained.Although Jones lost her debut match against Germany’s Eva Lys 0-6, 5-7, her presence in the main draw was a victory in itself. “What Emma did in 2021, I don’t think it will ever be repeated,” she said. “If I can achieve even part of that, I’d be happy.”For a player once told she would never make it, Francesca Jones continues to prove that talent, persistence, and resilience can outshine limitations.