First it was Maya Joint, and now Emerson Jones has announced herself as an Australian contender eager to assume the position vacated by Ash Barty.
At just 16, the Gold Coast product has stunned world No.37 Xinyu Wang at the Adelaide International, in an early warning of intent to her forthcoming grand slam rivals.
The teenage phenomenon was granted a wildcard to the Australian Open, and she wasted little time vindicating that call, as the No.1 ranked junior girl on the planet orchestrated an emphatic 6-4, 6-0 triumph on Monday afternoon.
Emerson Jones plays a forehand against Xinyu Wang of China during day one of the 2025 Adelaide International.Credit: Getty Images
Despite being broken on serve in the opening game, Jones regathered herself in quick time to begin heaping the pressure back on Wang.
Her down-the-line forehand from the baseline was a thing of power and class, while her backhand, which kissed the paint to break back into the first set, was a stroke that appeared to speak to the fearlessness she brought to the challenge of conquering her more seasoned foe.
Just as 18-year-old Joint held nothing back at the Brisbane International when she went toe-to-toe with former world No.1 and two-time Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka, Jones refused to let Wang dictate terms, regularly working her around the court.
By the time she sealed the match, the smile could not be wiped from the face of the emerging prospect, who has already been compared with Barty, who won the junior Wimbledon title 13 years before Jones made last year’s final and added the women’s silverware to her collection.
“I’m actually pretty surprised, pretty shocked. I didn’t think I’d even get a wildcard for this tournament, so winning a round is pretty special,” Jones said courtside following her victory.
“Sometimes I get a bit ahead of myself, so today I was trying to focus on each point and not get ahead of myself.
“The message [from my team] was no pressure, go out and play my best because I wasn’t expected to win.”
Jones, who will now take on world No.9 Daria Kasatkina in the second round, had already revealed herself as a star on the rise, having claimed the junior Australian Open and Wimbledon crowns last year.
Meanwhile, Kim Birrell, fresh off a quarterfinal charge at the Brisbane International, will begin her reign as Australia’s new No.1 through the Australian Open qualifiers this week.
The 26-year-old was not granted a wildcard to the main draw, and, despite overtaking Olivia Gadecki as the nation’s top-ranked woman (No.99), will need to fight for her place in Melbourne.
But Birrell, who defeated world No.8 Emma Navarro on Pat Rafter Arena last week, was confident she could maintain momentum throughout the summer.
“I’m super proud of the way I’ve been playing and just backing myself, no matter who’s down the other end, I trusted my ability and the work I put in through the off season,” Birrell said.
“I knew my level was there, but now that I’ve really proven it, there are so many positives. I’m definitely going to keep riding the high I’ve been on this week and take it into playing in Melbourne.
“I’m going to continue to keep backing myself, and the confidence I’ve gained [in Brisbane] has been unreal, and you just can’t replicate that in practice.
“You need to really prove on the match court you can do it, and having done that, I’m going to use that going into next week and continue this momentum – hopefully for the whole year.”
Birrell is set to take on Sara Saito in the first round of the qualifiers on Tuesday.
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