British tennis star provides health update after collapsing during match

British tennis ace Fran Jones has allayed fears over her health and thanked fans for their support after collapsing during her Colsanitas Cup first-round match with Julia Riera.

Jones, the British No.5, went down in a heap in deeply worrying scenes while trailing 5-3 in the third set of Tuesday’s first-round contest, which had been finely poised up until that point.

Disturbing pictures showed Jones failing to make contact with an attempted serve and clutching her head.

The Bradford-born star proceeded to lose her balance before hitting the deck, with medics rushing onto the court in Bogota, Colombia, to treat the stricken 24-year-old, who was forced to retire hurt.

There was silence in the crowd as Jones was eventually helped into a wheelchair, with the help of her Argentinian opponent, and taken away from the scene for further checks.

‘Due to a physical issue, Francesca Jones has withdrawn from her match against Julia Riera at 6-2 5-7 5-3 in favour of the Argentinian,’ a Colsanitas Cup statement read.

‘We wish the British tennis player a speedy recovery.’

There has been some concern amongst the tennis community and beyond in the intervening hours, with clips of Jones’ sudden health scare spreading across social media.

But Jones shared a positive update on her Instagram page on Wednesday afternoon, revealing how a failure to adapt to the extreme altitude in Bogota – Colombia’s capital – had led to her frightening collapse.

‘After winning the even in Brazil on Sunday, our total trip took over 24h, with minimal rest and recovery from a long week. Bogota is renowned for its altitude, and often takes a few days to adapt,’ Jones told her followers.

‘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.

‘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.

‘Overnight we conducted multiple studies and it seems my heart worked a little too hard on the day but thankfully no longer term impact.

‘Bogota is one of my favourite 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.’

Before her collapse, Jones – ranked 129 in the world – had fought back from losing the first set 6-2 to battle to a 7-5 victory in the second.

Last summer, Jones qualified for the first round at Wimbledon, only to be knocked out by Croatia’s Petra Martic.

She did the same in 2021 before the American Coco Gauff stopped her in her tracks in her opening contest.

Jones was born with two fingers and three toes missing due to a rare medical condition, Ectrodactyly Ectodermal Dysplasia Syndrome, and doctors encouraged her to give up on her tennis dream as a young player.

‘I’ve had experiences that many haven’t at my age, and I think that’s molded me into the person I am today,’ Jones said in 2021.

‘It will have had an impact on my mental strength and my mentality and mindset as a whole, but I am sure everyone goes through hardship and deals with adversity in their own way. Everyone’s story makes a person who they are.’

Jones revealed how some unwanted advice from a ‘specialist’, urging her to leave tennis behind, had actually driven her on in her career and provided her with extra motivation.

‘His comments played a massive part in my life decisions and career commitments to date,’ she added.

‘I’ve always wanted to make my parents proud more than anything.’

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