Born with 8 fingers and 7 toes – doctors said she'd never play tennis, today she’s competing at the US Open

Francesca Jones

What does it take to become a professional tennis player? For most, years of training and dedication. For Francesca Jones, it took all that plus the courage to defy every limitation placed upon her. Born with a rare genetic condition, she has faced challenges most athletes can’t imagine. Yet today, she stands tall on the professional tennis circuit, inspiring millions with her courage and unbreakable spirit.

Francesca was born in 2000 with Ectrodactyly Ectodermal Dysplasia (EED), a rare condition that shaped her life from the very beginning. She has three fingers and a thumb on each hand and just seven toes in total—three on one foot, four on the other. This affected her grip and balance, two things crucial for a tennis player.

Doctors warned her that a career in professional sports would be nearly impossible. But Francesca saw things differently.

At just nine years old, she made a brave decision to leave her family and move to the Sánchez-Casal Academy in Barcelona. For over six years, she lived on her own, training tirelessly and refining her game. She didn't let her physical differences hold her back. Instead, she adapted her technique, building a playing style that turned her supposed weaknesses into strengths.

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Her journey hasn't been without pain. Francesca has undergone multiple surgeries, including three wrist operations in just one year. But each time, she fought her way back to the court.

"The experience of a doctor telling me playing tennis was an almost impossible challenge was powerful. It made it a challenge in my head," she once told BBC Sport.

That mindset became her superpower. Rather than seeing her condition as a handicap, she believes it gave her something priceless: mental strength. "My competitiveness is what has got me to this point and the determination to keep pushing myself," she said.

In 2021, she stunned the tennis world by qualifying for the Australian Open. And now, in August 2025, she is playing the finest tennis of her career, competing with the best in the US Open.

Through every match, every setback, and every victory, Francesca Jones sends a powerful message to the world:
"People need to keep dreaming big and I will keep dreaming big until the day I die."