Francesca Jones collapsed on the pitch. © AFP / BEN STANSALL

British tennis player collapses on court

British tennis player Francesca Jones collapsed during a match at a tournament in Colombia's capital Bogota.

03 April 2025

From: dpa/det

With the score at 3-5 in the third set, the 24-year-old was in the middle of serving when she collapsed to the ground and was forced to retire. Jones was immediately treated by a medical team and taken off the court in a wheelchair.

The victory went to her opponent, Julia Riera of Argentina. Jones later gave the all-clear via Instagram. "We conducted several tests overnight. It seems my heart was working a little too hard that day, but thankfully, there were no long-term effects," Jones wrote.

Rare genetic defect since birth

The Briton is currently ranked 129th in the world. Jones was born with a rare condition and has struggled with physical problems on several occasions. Due to the genetic defect, she has four fingers and seven toes on both hands. Jones repeatedly suffered from severe cramps. This time, she wrote, she didn't feel any cramps before collapsing.