British tennis athlete Fran Jones had to pull out from the Colsanitas Cup in Bogota after collapsing on the court. Video footage circulating on social media showed the 24-year-old struggling to return a serve from Argentina’s Julia Riera in the third set of the round of 32 match. Jones experienced breathing difficulties during the final set of her first-round match and fell to the ground before being taken off the court in a wheelchair.
A statement released online confirmed Jones’ withdrawal from the tournament due to a physical ailment, with the match awarded to Julia Riera at 6-2 5-7 5-3. The tournament’s official account wished Jones a prompt recovery. Despite being close to defeat, Jones had just won her eighth career title in Brazil and may have been affected by the high altitude in Bogota.
Ranked 129th, Jones faces physical challenges on the court due to a rare genetic condition called Ectrodactyly Ectodermal Dysplasia, which causes her to have one finger on each hand and only seven toes. Throughout her career, finishing matches has been a struggle for Jones due to severe cramping episodes. She has retired from matches 19 times in her career, including twice this year. Julia Riera will now advance to play against Iva Jovic in the round of 16.
In the United States, British player Heather Watson, ranked seventh in the UK, suffered a defeat in straight sets during the first round of the Charleston Open. The 32-year-old was defeated 7-6 (8) 6-4 by Belarusian player Iryna Shymanovich, ranked 215th in the world. Watson fought off three set points in a tight opener but couldn’t capitalize on her own opportunity during the tiebreak. Shymanovich broke Watson’s serve four times in the second set, securing a spot in the last 32 round to face top seed Jessica Pegula, the runner-up at the previous year’s US Open.