"I wasn't expecting Aryna Sabalenka or something" - Teen star Emerson Jones addresses her resounding 1R win at Adelaide International

Australian teen sensation Emerson Jones recently opened up about not expecting competition on the level of Aryna Sabalenka at the 2025 Adelaide International.

Jones announced herself on the main tour with a resounding first round win against World No. 37 Wang Xinyu in Adelaide. The 16-year-old showed character as she rallied from a break down on two occasions to claim the first set. She then clinched a bagel in the second set to seal the win, 6-4, 6-0.

During a press conference after the match, Jones was asked about the level of play she expected entering into the tournament. The wildcard entrant maintained that she prepared for intense competition but not at the level of the World No. 1.

"I was expecting that. I just had to prepare well. But, I wasn't obviously, I wasn't expecting Sabalenka or something but I wasn't quite sure on the level and that was a great level to see," Emerson Jones said.

Jones later expressed delight at people comparing her to fellow Australian legend Ashleigh Barty. However, she opined that it was better to just focus on herself as all players endure "different journeys."

"It's great to be compared to Ash Barty. It's really exciting to know that she's done all this and everything. Even with juniors, I find it exciting that everyone' saying she did this and that and I'm following in her footsteps. But I just think we're all on our different journeys and I just want to see how I grow and just focus on myself. Obviously, Ash Barty was amazing. So, it'll be very hard to keep up with that. So, I'll just see how I grow," she added.

Emerson Jones will face off against third-seed Daria Kasatkina in the second round of the Adelaide International. The Russian defeated Olivia Gadecki, 6-2, 6-3, in her opener.

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Aryna Sabalenka commences 2025 season with Brisbane International title

In Picture: Aryna Sabalenka at the 2025 Brisbane International (Source: Getty)

Aryna Sabalenka continued her scintillating form on the tour into the new season with a title win at the Brisbane International. The win marked the Belarusian's second title in Brisbane and her fourth on Australian soil.

Following a first-round bye, Sabalenka secured four consecutive straight-sets wins against Renata Zarazua, Yulia Putintseva, Marie Bouzkova and Mirra Andreeva to reach the final. She then rallied from a set down to defeat Polina Kudermetova, 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, and win her 18th career title.

With the Brisbane International, Sabalenka has wrapped up her preparations for the Australian Open. If the Belarusian retains her title Down Under, she will become the first player since Martina Hingis in 1999 to claim the hard-court Major three times in a row.