Sports (Commonwealth Union) _Tennis player Francesca Jones has achieved a significant milestone in her career, claiming her second WTA 125 title in less than a month. The Briton lifted the trophy, this time, at the 36° Palermo Ladies Open, which was hosted in Italy. The 24-year-old defeated Dutch contender Anouk Koevermans in straight sets, 6-3, 6-2, wrapping up an impressive unbeaten run on the red clay.
Jones delivered a dominant performance, not dropping a single set throughout the course of the tournament, gaining irrefutable wins over Chloe Paquet, Oksana Selekhmeteva, Panna Udvardy, and Tatiana Prozorova. The latest success comes shortly after her breakthrough win at the WTA 125 event in Contrexeville held earlier this July. Heading into the month, Jones had never won at the WTA 125 level. However, with two titles in quick succession, she has now ascended into the WTA top 100 for the first time in her career, now ranking at world No. 84.
Jones joins Emma Raducanu, Katie Boulter, and Sonay Kartal as the fourth British woman inside the WTA top 100, solidifying the UK’s presence on the women’s tour. It is notable that all 11 career titles achieved by Jones have been on clay courts, emphasising her prowess on the surface.
Her rise is also especially inspiring, considering her battle with ectodermal dysplasia, a rare genetic condition that left her with fewer fingers and toes. However, despite the multiple surgeries and setbacks she has had to undergo, Jones has never allowed the condition to define her performance on the court.
The Bradford-born player began serious training at the age of nine and moved to Spain to join the Sanchez Casal Academy. She refined her game later on at the Ad-In Academy in Barcelona before fully committing to the professional tour. She has also been part of the Lexus GB Billie Jean King Cup team, showing her skills as a team player as well as an individual competitor.
The 2025 season has proved to be Jones’s most productive yet, where, in addition to her twin WTA 125 titles, she also secured trophies at the W75 Varcaria and W75 Prague events, made a semi-final run at WTA 125 Cancun, qualified for the WTA 1000 Madrid Open, and earned WTA Tour wins in Nottingham and Eastbourne.
While Jones dominated in Palermo, fellow Brit George Loffhagen has also made headlines, claiming his first ATP Challenger title in Segovia, Spain. The 24-year-old edged past Spain’s Nicolas Alvarez Varona in a gripping final that lasted over three hours, winning 7-6(4), 6-7(4), 6-4.
Loffhagen had a tough route to the final, which included a first-round win over Ryan Peniston as well as victories against Hugo Grenier and Edas Butvilas. The Segovia crown is Loffhagen’s biggest career title and adds to a strong season where he has also lifted trophies at Quinta do Lago, Vale do Lobo, and Nottingham.
Meanwhile, Emma Raducanu produced one of her best performances since winning the US Open, reaching the semi-finals of the WTA 500 in Washington. Along the way, she registered high-profile wins over Marta Kostyuk, four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka, and former world No. 3 Maria Sakkari. Although she fell to Anna Kalinskaya in the semi-final, Raducanu’s impressive run sees her return to world No. 33, reclaiming her position as British No. 1.
In doubles, there was more success for British players in Umag, where Marcus Willis, along with American Patrik Trhac, made the final of the ATP 250 doubles, finishing as runners-up in a tight contest.
At the Prague Open, British doubles players Alicia Barnett and Emily Appleton also reached the semi-finals with their respective partners, capping a strong week for the British contingent across both singles and doubles.
