Next Ash Barty in the making? 16-year-old Aussie star triumphs over Top-40 player in breakout WTA Match

Emerson Jones is making waves on the WTA Tour after defeating World No. 37 Xinyu Wang with a commanding 6-4, 6-0 win at the WTA 500 Adelaide International. The junior World No. 1 played her first WTA-level match and now awaits her debut against a top-10 player, Russian Daria Kasatkina.

Born in 2008, Jones has risen quickly through the junior and ITF ranks, earning a wildcard for Adelaide. In 2024, she reached two junior Grand Slam finals—at the Australian Open and Wimbledon—and in September claimed the top spot in the junior rankings.

Currently ranked World No. 371, Jones is guaranteed to climb 79 spots to World No. 292 by Monday, marking a career-high. The Australian has already drawn comparisons to Ash Barty, the former World No. 1 who peaked at No. 2 as a junior.

Emerson Jones crushes Xinyu Wang in Adelaide

Jones delivered an impressive performance with a 63% first serve percentage and 76% effectiveness, winning 60% of return points when her opponent served. She surrendered her serve twice in the opening set but broke Wang three times to secure it 6-4. In the second set, Jones dominated with a flawless 6-0 performance, winning 69% of total points.

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“At the start of the match, because I have never played a top-50 player before, I was a bit wary of how good she was, so I wasn't quite sure,” Jones said. “But as the match went on, I was like, 'I have got this—if I really play well, I have got a chance.’”

Jones was among those awarded a wildcard by Tennis Australia for the Australian Open. In 2024, she lost in the first round of the main draw and finished as a runner-up in the junior event. “Mentally, I have improved a lot from last year,” she said.

“I have got no expectations playing in these high-level tournaments, so I just play every game as hard as I can,” the 2-time junior Grand Slam runner-up said. “I just have to prepare well... playing more matches and trying to tell myself before every single match that I need to be mentally good.”

“Because that is probably mostly what tennis is about: whoever is the most headstrong will probably be the greatest,” she added.

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Jones also addressed comparisons to former World No. 1 Ash Barty, who won the Australian Open in 2022 shortly before retiring. “It's really exciting to know that she has done all of this... I find it really exciting that people say, ‘she did this and that,’ and I am following in her footsteps.”

“But I just think we're all on our different journeys, and I just want to see how I go. Obviously, Ash Barty was amazing, so it would be very hard to keep up with that.”

Jones’ next challenge will be in the Round of 16 against third seed Daria Kasatkina (World No. 9), who is defending her runner-up finish from 2024.

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