London, Great Britain, 9 July 2024 | Leigh Rogers

Emerson Jones has made a promising start to her campaign in the Wimbledon 2024 girls’ singles competition.

The top-ranked Australian junior needed only 57 minutes to record a 6-1 6-2 victory against Japanese qualifier Shiho Tsujioka in opening-round action today at the All England Club.

“Obviously first round at Wimby, it’s a bit nerve-wracking,” Jones said.

“But I thought I handled myself pretty well. I played pretty solid and just the way I needed to against her.”

Jones, who celebrated her 16th birthday earlier this week, is the highest-seeded Australian in a Wimbledon girls’ singles draw in 26 years.

However, the third seed isn’t too worried about her position in the draw.

“I don’t really free any pressure,” said Jones, who made the girls’ singles third round in her Wimbledon debut last year. “I just have to play whoever is in front of me because everyone is really good here, it’s a high level.”

The National Tennis Academy athlete noted that is the biggest lesson she has learnt so far in a stunning 2024 season.

“I always used to worry a bit too much about who I could be playing and what my draw is like,” she explained. “But when you’re playing in massive tournaments everyone is really good, so I’m only worrying about who is in front of me.”

Jones next faces 17-year-old Czech Eliska Tichackova, who she scored a three-set victory against during a title-winning run at an ITF J500 clay-court tournament in Milan during May.

The promising Gold Coast athlete is looking to build on her exceptional results already this year, which include becoming the first Aussie to reach an Australian Open girls’ singles final in 16 years and peaking at world No.2 in the ITF junior rankings.

Jones’ older brother, 17-year-old Hayden, has also progressed to the second round in the Wimbledon boys’ singles competition.

> READ: Aussie junior Hayden Jones scores milestone win at Wimbledon 2024

Aussies in action – Wimbledon

RESULTS
Girls’ singles, first round
[3] Emerson Jones (AUS) d [Q] Shiho Tsujioka (JPN) 6-1 6-2

COMING UP
Boys’ singles, second round
[7] Hayden Jones (AUS) v Mees Rottgering (NED)

Girls’ singles, second round
[3] Emerson Jones (AUS) v Eliska Tichackova (CZE)

Boys’ doubles, first round
Hayden Jones (AUS)/Pavle Marinkov (AUS) v [5] Marko Maksimovic (SRB)/Theo Papamalamis (FRA) 2-6 3-5 to finish

Girls’ doubles, first round 
[6] Emerson Jones (AUS)/Vittoria Paganetti (ITA) v Eliska Tichackova (CZE)/Lucie Urbanova (CZE)

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