Five things to know: Aussie Open qualifier Fran Jones

With a 6-0, 6-1 victory in Dubai, Francesca Jones qualified for the Australian Open to make her first Grand Slam main draw. To get this far, she's had to carve out a unique path, as she has was born with ectrodactyly ectodermal dysplasia, which has caused her to have three fingers and a thumb on each hand and seven toes.

Here are some things to know about the 20-year-old Brit ahead of her major debut:

1

She places a premium on positive attitude:

"Each person has to ... try and win the game with their set of cards," Jones told press after winning her final qualifying match. "If you're dealt a full house straight away, fair play to you. But if you're not, then you need to find a way to win the game with another strategy. And that's what I'm doing."

For Jones, part of that strategizing means using a lighter racquet with a smaller grip and training with extra attention on preventing running injuries.

2

Jones beat established names on the road to Melbourne:

Her qualifying draw wasn't a soft one at all, and she rose to the challenge, getting past Monica Niculescu (6-3, 6-2) and Jana Fett (7-6, 2-6, 6-1) before a dominant win over Jia-Jing Lu (6-0, 6-1).

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3

She already has plenty of winning experience:

From 2017 to 2019, the world No. 243 won five ITF singles titles, in Paraguay, Argentina, Finland and two in Belarus, and made runner-up finishes at two other events. She's also made an ITF final in doubles.

4

Jones isn't keen on social media:

"Social media for me is a platform that can be used to your benefit in some ways, but I also think at the moment it has a negative influence on society," she said. "I like to stick to the tennis and stick to my life, and I quite like my privacy in that respect."

5

She's quite the soccer fan:

Jones hasn't posted on Instagram since 2018, but back when she used her account, it documented her adventures to some of the world's iconic soccer venues, including Camp Nou, in Barcelona, and Old Trafford, home of Manchester United.

Soccer also informs how Jones manages her advantages and disadvantages in fitness training:

"I think every human being has physical weaknesses," she said, "unless you're Cristiano Ronaldo or something."