Tennis great Ash Barty advises fans to be patient and not overload teenage sensations Emerson Jones and Maya Joint with expectations this summer.
Jones, 17, rose to 160th in the rankings this season after becoming the first Australian since Jelena Dokic in 1998 to reach the world No. 1 junior ranking last year.
Joint, 19, rose to No. 32 in the world to be on course for a top Grand Slam seed at the Australian Open in January after winning the WTA titles on grass and clay during her 2025 campaign.
“I’ve spent a bit of time with Maya on the pitch and what’s been really brilliant this year is you’ve seen her confidence, her ability and her consistency grow, throughout the season,” Barty told AAP.
Barty likes what she’s seen so far from Joint. (Getty Images: Matthieu Stockman)
“She had a really good start throughout the summer and then won a few titles and did a really good job in very tough places, tough tournaments, tough conditions.
“So next year will be a new challenge for her, a bit of a new beast in the different challenges that it presents.
“But Maya is a really lovely girl who works exceptionally hard and it’s nice to see some of these girls doing work behind the scenes that not everyone necessarily sees day in and day out – they get rewards because they deserve it.”
A three-time major winner and former world number one, Barty hopes Joint will also one day challenge for Grand Slam spoils, but cautions fans against expecting overnight success.
“She’s in the early stages of her career. This is her first full season on tour,” Barty said.
“So once she gets more comfortable with herself, with that confidence and continues with that consistency, that’s the challenge now for Maya.
“Whether it’s Grand Slam or any other tournament, it’s about going out there and giving her best in every match and hopefully – fingers crossed – she can do well in Grand Slam and experience what it’s like to go into that second week and go deep, because it’s really cool.”
The 2022 Australian Open champion would like to see Jones, Joint and others enjoy the hype and home support rather than feeling any pressure to deliver on their promises.
Barty wants Joint and Jones (pictured) to agree to represent their countries at the Australian Open. (Getty Images: Robert Prange)
“Girls especially, I encourage them to embrace it, to embrace the support, the warmth,” Barty said.
“There’s nothing like playing in Australia in January and when I learned to accept that and accept it more, that’s when I played better.
“So I would love to see these girls welcome it with open arms and enjoy the crowd for what it is, take advantage of the opportunity, enjoy the moment and hopefully play some of their best tennis.”
The daughter of former world champion triathlete Loretta Harrop, Jones made her main draw debut at this year’s Australian Open as a wildcard before reaching the final round of Wimbledon and US Open qualifying.
“She’s very young. She’s learning,” Barty said.
“She’s had some good experiences this year, so right now it’s just about that growth and development, continuing to be patient. It’s not going to happen overnight.
“She has a lot to work on in her body and in her game, but it’s exciting because we have no idea where the ceiling is.
“As fans and viewers, we can be part of the journey and watch her blossom and grow and be patient with that, but be excited at the same time.”
PAA
