GB's Jones beats Williams as Swiatek stunned
· BBC SportByEmily Salley
BBC Sport journalist
Published
Britain's Fran Jones said it "means everything" as she defeated her childhood hero Venus Williams in the first round of the Miami Open.
Jones claimed a 7-5 7-5 victory over seven-time Grand Slam singles champion Williams, who - at 45-years-old - was the oldest player in the women's singles draw.
It is a first career WTA 1000 win for the 25-year-old, while it was Williams' ninth successive defeat since a first-round win at Washington last summer.
Meanwhile, second seed Iga Swiatek was stunned by world number 50 Magda Linette, who fought back from a set down to win 1-6 7-5 6-3 in the second round.
It is the first time in 74 tournaments that Swiatek, who received a first-round bye, has lost her opening match in a WTA Tour event.
The reigning Wimbledon champion has failed to advance past the quarter-finals in all four of the tournaments she has played at in 2026.
"I stopped doing anything well tactically," Swiatek said after the defeat by her Polish compatriot.
"It just was a bad match for me in the second and third sets. Unconsciously, or consciously, it's hard for me to say. I need to work to get back from that, because I haven't felt things like that for like five years."
'Venus and Serena are the reason I'm here'
Jones was born with Ectrodactyly Ectodermal Dysplasia (EEC), leaving her with three fingers and a thumb on each hand, three toes on her right foot and four toes on her left.
Doctors told her to forget about playing tennis professionally, but Jones said it was players like Williams and her sister Serena that inspired her to keep trying.
After wrapping up her win, Jones - ranked 93rd in the world - embraced Williams at the net and told her she still had a poster of her and Serena pinned up.
"She's a game changer. I told her at the net I pretty much say goodnight to her and Serena on the wall of my childhood home every night," Jones said.
"I was someone that was told I could never play tennis and if it wasn't for those two women I'm not sure I would have made the step to do it.
"My dad took me to Centre Court to watch them play at five years old and they're the reason I'm here today, so to have that win means everything."
She will face American fifth seed Jessica Pegula, last year's runner-up, in the second round.
Jones' fellow Britons Jacob Fearnley and Arthur Fery were less fortunate in Miami.
British number three Fearnley retired from his match against American Martin Damm Jr after losing the first set 6-0, while Fery fell to a 6-1 7-6 (7-4) defeat by Stefanos Tsitsipas.
'Imagine having your idol DM you' - Kouame congratulated by Djokovic
Elsewhere in the men's draw, 17-year-old Moise Kouame became the youngest man to win an ATP Masters 1000 match since Rafael Nadal in 2003.
The French wildcard claimed a 5-7 6-4 6-4 win over American qualifier Zachary Svajda to become the Miami tournament's youngest-ever match winner.
He is also the first player born in 2009 or later to win an ATP Tour match.
Kouame, ranked 385th in the world, said he was congratulated by 24-time major winner Novak Djokovic after his breakthrough victory.
"I have a small secret. After the win, Novak texted me," Kouame told Tennis Channel.
"I'm so nervous. I don't know what to answer. Imagine having your idol DM you like this. This is too much for me. It's the coolest thing ever."
Kouame will face Czech 21st seed Jiri Lehecka in the second round.
Meanwhile, 19-year-old Brazilian Joao Fonseca - another rising star - set up a second-round meeting with top seed Carlos Alcaraz by defeating Fabian Marozan 6-4 3-6 6-2.
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Published
16 August 2025