Seventeen-year-old Emerson Jones has been called up to Australia’s Billie Jean King Cup squad, replacing world No. 31 Maya Joint who is sidelined by a back injury. The qualifier against Great Britain is set for April 10-11 at John Cain Arena in Melbourne. Captain Sam Stosur voiced strong support for the young debutant.
Australia’s top-ranked female player Maya Joint sustained a back injury during her first-round loss to Jacqueline Cristian at Indian Wells. Joint won the first set 6-0 but lost the next two 6-2 and 7-5, leading her to withdraw from doubles. She is now rehabilitating ahead of the clay-court season and Roland Garros, with a season record of 2-8 including first-round exits in her last four tournaments. Her withdrawal opens the door for 17-year-old Emerson Jones from the Gold Coast, who joins Talia Gibson, Kimberly Birrell, Storm Hunter, and Ellen Perez in the squad. Jones could become the youngest player to represent Australia in a BJK Cup tie in Melbourne, a first home hosting in 15 years. Emerson Jones, ranked a career-high No. 136 in WTA standings, has a 12-7 win-loss record this year. She reached No. 1 on the junior ITF rankings in 2024—the first Australian since Jelena Dokic in 1998—and was a finalist at the Australian Open and Wimbledon juniors. Named Junior Athlete of the Year at the Newcombe Medal in 2023 and 2024, Jones won a main-draw match in Miami before falling to ninth seed Elina Svitolina. “To get my number—most girls dream of that,” Jones said. “It’s going to be a great experience and really fun. They’re all really great girls on the team, and I look up to them a lot.” Eight-time Grand Slam champion and team captain Sam Stosur backed Jones, saying, “Emerson has been able to test herself against some of the best players in the world at the Australian Open and other big tournaments already this year. This opportunity will certainly make her an even better player.” Stosur added, “I have no doubt this will be the first of many times that she represents Australia—she’s going to love it.” The best-of-five tie against Great Britain determines a spot in the eight-nation finals in China in September.
