Jones siblings make history in qualifying for ITF junior finals | 7 October, 2024 | All News | News and Features | News and Events

Girls’ world No.1 junior Emerson Jones and her brother Hayden Jones have earned a spot in the starting eight of their respective ITF World Tennis Tour Junior Finals in Chengdu, China this month.

Melbourne, 7 October 2024 | Dan Imhoff

Gold Coast siblings Emerson and Hayden Jones’ breakout seasons will culminate in a rare dual achievement with both stamping their tickets to the ITF World Tennis Tour Junior Finals in Chengdu, China this month.

It is the first time in the event’s seven-year history that siblings have qualified.

Junior No.1 Emerson heads the list of eight girls who have qualified to compete at the Sichuan International Tennis Centre from 16-20 October, following in the footsteps of Grand Slam champions Elena Rybakina, Marketa Vondrousova, Sofia Kenin and Jelena Ostapenko, and major finalist Leylah Fernandez.

“Making the top eight for the finals with my brother is pretty special because my family gets to come as well, so I’m pretty excited about that,” Emerson said.

“It’s going to be pretty tough because you have to play the top eight girls from the first match, so yeah, we’ll see how we both go. Hopefully both get a good result.

“It’s always great to be playing what the top pros have played when they’re younger. It means you’re tracking pretty well.”

> READ MORE: Emerson Jones rises to world No.1 in junior rankings

The 16-year-old this year became the first Australian girl to reach junior world No.1 since Jelena Dokic in 1998 and was the first Aussie since Luke Saville 12 years ago to reach two junior Grand Slam finals in the same year.

She finished runner-up to Slovak Renata Jamrichova at the Australian Open and Wimbledon.

Hayden Jones in action at the 2024 US Open. Photo: Getty Images

Older brother Hayden secured the last direct qualifying spot in the boys’ event, following the likes of Casper Ruud, Andrey Rublev, Taylor Fritz, Lorenzo Musetti and Holger Rune, who have all competed in it before him.

The 18-year-old reached the boys’ singles quarterfinals at the Australian Open this year and subsequently cracked the top 10 in the ITF junior rankings in April 2024, becoming the first Australian since Rinky Hijikata five years ago to do so.

“It’s awesome, honestly. I was, I think, first or a couple of reserves out and I was kind of really looking forward to getting into it,” Hayden said. “I was actually thinking I was going to miss it, so to get a late call-up is awesome.

“Just knowing that the guys that are the top of the game right now and have been at the top have been through this pathway, it puts us in really good stead to know we’re tracking in the way that we want to move forward and how we want to progress into the players we want to become.”

Emerson will join the likes of British US Open girls’ champion Mika Stojsavljevic and three-time Grand Slam girls’ doubles champion Tyra Caterina Grant in the girls’ field, while Hayden will take his place alongside the likes of Spain’s US Open boys’ singles champion, Rafael Jodar.

> READ MORE: Hayden Jones scores milestone win at Wimbledon

2024 ITF World Tennis Tour Junior Finals – Girls
Emerson Jones (AUS)
Tyra Caterina Grant (USA)
Laura Samson (CZE)
Wakana Sonobe (JPN)
Teodora Kostovic (SRB)
Mika Stojsavljevic (GBR)
Jeline Vandromme (BEL)
Kristina Penickova (USA)
Antonia Vergara Rivera (CHI) – alternate

2024 ITF World Tennis Tour Junior Finals – Boys
Rafael Jodar (ESP)
Mees Rottgering (NED)
Maxim Mrva (CZE)
Luca Preda (ROU)
Jan Kumstat (CZE)
Charlie Robertson (GBR)
Theo Papamalamis (FRA)
Hayden Jones (AUS)
Kim Jangjun (KOR) – alternate

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