British tennis pro born with rare genetic disorder collapses mid-match in terrifying scene
British tennis player Francesca Jones was taken off the court in a wheelchair on Tuesday after she collapsed on the ground mid-match at the Copa Colsanitas tournament in Colombia.
The terrifying scene unfolded in the third set of her Round of 32 match. Jones, 24, was preparing to serve against her opponent, Julia Riera of Argentina, when she appeared to lose her balance and stumble after tossing the ball in the air.
Jones fell onto the ground, where she stayed as officials ran to her aide.
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It wasn’t immediately clear what caused the sudden collapse, but Riera and medical staff picked Jones up and placed her into a wheelchair. Jones was forced to retire from the tournament, and later took to Instagram to explain the cause of Tuesday’s scene.
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“After winning the event in Brazil on Sunday, our total trip took over 24 [hours], with minimal rest and recovery from a long week. Bogota is renowned for its altitude, and often takes a few days to adapt. Unfortunately upon our arrival Monday afternoon we were unable to practice due to rain and this meant that aside from my low-level pre match warm up, my first exposure to the limited oxygen levels at a high intensity was my match,” she explained in a post to her Instagram Stories on Wednesday.
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“As the match went on, I worked hard to give myself the opportunity to stay competitive while trying to get used to the conditions but progressively struggled; blurry vision eventually leading to collapsing, with no cramp having occurred.”
Jones went on to explain that testing showed that her heart “worked a little too hard.” She noted that there were no long-term issues as a result of the incident.
“Bogota is one of my favorite events of the year and I hope to reconnect in 2026 under different circumstances. After a few days rest, I will continue to build on the improvements made to date this season. Thank you for the messages and concern,” she concluded.
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Jones was born with a rare genetic condition called Ectrodactyly Ectodermal Dysplasia, a condition that causes the hands and feet to develop abnormally. She has seven toes and is missing a finger on each hand.
Despite the odds stacked against her, Jones has seen great success on the tennis court and has spoken openly about her journey. She is currently ranked No. 129 on the WTA and has won eight ITF singles titles.
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