E44 - Francesca Jones

She nearly quit tennis last year.Seven surgeries, constant setbacks, and a body few doctors understood.Today, Francesca Jones reveals how she fought through doubt, pain, and pressure to break into the Top 100 — and what she’s learned along the way.⏱️ TIMESTAMPS / CHAPTERS00:00 – “This year was supposed to be my last…” Career crossroads, feeling stuck, and finding unexpected freedom.03:10 – Moving to Spain alone at 10 to chase a dream Early sacrifices, school-life balance, and building identity away from tennis.06:20 – Toxic coaches, abuse of power & lack of safeguarding in tennis Francesca opens up about dangerous dynamics young players face. Episode Francesca Jones12:40 – Becoming the CEO of her own career at 16 Learning decision-making, emotional intelligence, and firing the wrong people.21:00 – Living with a rare syndrome & surgeries no doctor understood How unique biomechanics shaped her challenges and mindset.27:00 – The brutal truth: she had to stop tennis to rebuild her body Three-month physical reset, strength work, and realizing the sport changed.31:30 – “I’ll die on the court if I have to” — her mentality explained Obsession, overtraining, collapsing in matches, and learning limits.44:00 – The moment she almost quit tennis forever Doubt, burnout, Patagonia reflections, and the conversation that saved her.52:00 – Breaking Top 100 & what’s next Long-term goals, redefining success, and chasing stability for the first time.If you enjoyed this conversation, hit LIKE, SUBSCRIBE, and drop a comment telling us your favorite insight from Francesca.Your support helps us bring more raw, honest stories from the world’s best players.This episode is brought to you by Hologic, a global leader in women’s health — dedicated to early detection, innovation, and helping women live healthier, longer lives. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.