Even by Fran Jones’s high standards – she describes herself as a “mentality monster”, rightly so given all the trials she has overcome – her chances of any sort of recovery seemed painfully remote. She had lost 10 of her first 11 games to find herself trailing 0-6, 1-4 while being outplayed by a more experienced, better-prepared opponent. During the hottest part of another searing day in Paris, it seemed she was cooked.
Still, Jones kept on grinding and again showed off her combativeness by nearly turning the match around. The British No 4 eventually bowed out with a 6-0, 7-6 (3) defeat against the 27th seed, the Czech Marie Bouzkova, ending a memorable first main-draw appearance at Roland Garros in the second round.
On Sunday, Jones completed a brilliant comeback to win a grand slam main-draw match for the first time, defeating the former top-10 player Beatriz Haddad Maia in three sets. Jones had similarly started incredibly slowly, trailing 1-6, 0-2 before recovering to win. Here, she found herself in an even worse position. Bouzkova is tough to break down, one of the most durable and consistent players on the tour. She is, as some say, a gatekeeper: no matter the surface, opponent or conditions, if you do not perform at a high level against Bouzkova, you will lose.
For the better part of an hour, the 25-year-old Jones fell far short of the standard required. Still, she maintained her fiery, resolute attitude, and rapidly began to reel off games. Her most distinctive weapon is her heavy topspin forehand, which is even more challenging to deal with in such hot, high-bouncing conditions.
Her forehand was the dominant shot on the court for a while, allowing her to reel off four games in a row. “I think I’m always going to make opponents feel uncomfortable,” Jones said. “I don’t care what the score is. I will throw everything at you. I will throw every ounce of my mentality I’ve got at you, physically what I can.”
She had her chances, serving at 5-4 and 6-5 to take it to a third set before leading 3-1 in the tie-break. However, not once did Bouzkova show a hint of negativity.
She forced her opponent – Jones is ranked outside the world’s top 100, Bouzkova inside the top 30 – to work for every point and soon emerged with the victory.
Jones holds herself to incredibly high standards. “Obviously it’s great to get one match, but I’m not here to get one match,” she said. “As much as I might look like I’m taking it well, I’m pretty peed off.”
She leaves Roland Garros having taken a step forward with her win over Haddad Maia. Navigating the tennis circuit with what she describes as her “unique selling point”, the rare genetic condition ectrodactyly ectodermal dysplasia that means she has only seven digits between her two hands, is a remarkable achievement in itself but her various difficulties this year have not necessarily even related to the condition.
Jones started her season by slipping in her first-round match at the Australian Open, tearing a glute muscle and being forced to retire. She then had a freak accident during a gym session in the United States, sustaining a concussion after a weight fell on her head. The concussion set her back for months and she is still rebuilding herself physically. Jones says she has initiated legal action against the company she deems responsible for the mishap.
She arrived in Paris still a fair distance from her best physical condition and with few wins behind her, reliant on her mental toughness and mindset. Now her goals are quite simple. She must find a way to remain on the court and in the gym for an extended period in order to give herself an optimal chance when competing against the best players in the world.
“This week proves that I’m always going to back myself, even if I have not got maybe that track record similar as I maybe did last year, as when I was coming into the grass with quite a lot of wins,” she said. “I do trust my mentality, so hopefully I’ll put myself in the position over the grass as well to keep winning matches.”