MELBOURNE, Australia — When Ash Barty announced her retirement from professional tennis in March 2022, it was a shock to fans, her fellow players, and the media. She was just 25 years of age — still ranked No. 1 in the world — and was coming off the biggest win of her career, an Australian Open title, at her home Grand Slam.
Barty had the tennis world at her feet. Fans had reason to believe her dominance over the rest of the women’s field would continue for many more years. However, content with a life and family away from the sport, her absence left a hole in Australia’s women’s tennis stocks; it’s yet to be filled.
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Just one Australian woman was ranked inside the top 100 at Jan. 6, with 26-year-old Kimberley Birrell scraping in at No. 99 after jumping 14 spots thanks to a nice run at the Brisbane International. Olivia Gadecki, 22, is the next best Aussie, at 105, followed by veterans Daria Saville and Ajla Tomljanovic (112 and 116).
That vacuum of top 100-talent explains why there’s significant intrigue in the women’s side of the draw, at least, from an Australian perspective, in 2025.
Sure, Alex De Minaur is ranked inside the top 10 this time around at his home Slam. Sure, Nick Kyrgios is back, although with a significant injury cloud hanging over his head. And sure, Alexei Popyrin is seeded for the first time at Melbourne Park among nine men in the top 100 including Jordan Thompson, who sits one spot off his career-high (26) in the rankings at 27.
But the future of Australian women’s tennis will be on display in Melbourne, with a couple of in-form teenagers leading the charge.
Australia’s next generation of tennis stars includes junior world No. 1 Emerson Jones, and rising star Maya Joint. ESPN/Getty Images
Emerson Jones is the junior world No. 1, and comes into Melbourne with a top-50 win in her pocket already in 2025. She’s just 16 years of age, but plays brave tennis, with aggression one of her key traits. She has years on her side, but already talk of filling the gap left by Barty has been floated.
“I think it’s great when people say that I’m following in Ash Barty’s footsteps. Obviously she was a crazy tennis player, unreal results,” Jones said in a pre-tournament press conferece. “I’ve obviously got my own journey. [But] I think it’s pretty special when people say stuff like that.”
And there’s Maya Joint. She’s 18 years of age and coming off the best tournament run of her fledgling career. At the Hobart international last week, she won all the way through to the semifinals, taking down No. 4 seed Magda Linette and 2020 Australian Open winner Sofia Kenin en route.
Joint’s journey on the pro tour is a little out of the box; after committing to the University of Texas to play at college last year, she backflipped on the decision last month — not long into her freshman year — after she won through to the second round of the 2024 US Open in August.
NCAA rules dictate that college athletes cannot keep any prizemoney they earn on the pro tour while enrolled, meaning Joint left A$227,000 (US$140,000) on the table.
With Joint and Jones, as well as Talia Gibson (20) being given wildcard entries for the Australian Open, even a first-round loss in Melbourne will net them A$132,000 (US$81,000) as they aim to set up their year of travel for tournaments.
For junior No. 1 Jones, it’s a maiden Grand Slam main draw appearance; but it won’t be easy, with Slam winner and No. 6 seed Elena Rybakina her first-round opponent.
“I’m really excited to play against [Rybakina], I’ve watched her for years on TV,” Jones said. “[It’s a] great experience for me, especially at a young age, to play against someone like that. She’s going to be my highest [ranked] player I’ve played. Last week was also the highest player [world No. 9 Daria Kasatkina] of my career so far that I’ve played. I’m really excited to play these higher-ranked players.”
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Jones, runner up at the Australian Open and Wimbledon in the juniors in 2024, said she was “pretty shocked” to get a wildcard at such a young age.
“I was pretty excited. I wasn’t really expecting a wildcard because there are so many good girls. Obviously I was just hoping for the best. Yeah, I was really, really excited, just overwhelmed,” she said.
Her coach, former junior Slam winner Carlos Cuadrado, said it was a great opportunity to play Slam tennis with no expectation.
“We are here to learn, to have fun, to compete, to try to win. But we are aware about we are 16 years old and we have a lot to learn,” he said.
Meanwhile, Joint’s run at Hobart has given her the confidence she can replicate that second-round major appearance at Flushing Meadows late last year, but she, too, will be up against it, with No. 7 seed American Jessica Pegula her opponent.
“I had a lot of good matches [in Hobart], so I’m really happy with how I did,” Joint said after the semifinal loss. “It’s the furthest I’ve ever gotten at a [WTA] 250, so I’m really glad with how I did. I think it gives me good confidence going into Melbourne. I’m really excited. My dad is from Melbourne, so I’ll have a lot of family coming out to watch me play.
The rise of Australia’s teen sensations hasn’t escaped the eyes of the nation’s top-ranked men, with world No. 8 De Minaur heaping praise onto the duo on Friday leading into the Australian Open.
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He said Australia had a “great crop” of young females coming through the talent pathways.
“We’ve seen what Emerson Jones has been able to do in Adelaide. Maya Joint in Hobart. I think, yeah, the kind of next generation is definitely popping through. It’s great to see,” he said in his pre-tournament press conference.
Fellow seeded Aussie Popyrin was equally upbeat about the future of Australian women’s tennis.
“I think there’s a lot of good women. I think [Gadecki] is doing a good job. She had a great year last year. Ajla also, and Dasha [Saville], they’ve been coming back from injuries, but they’ve also been doing quite well.
“We have a young girl, Emerson Jones, who kind of showed out last week in Adelaide. She did really well. No. 1 junior also. I think women’s tennis is also going up, trending up. I think it’s in a good place. Hopefully it will continue getting better.”
Women’s tennis has been somewhat in limbo in Australia since Barty retired, but with an eye to the horizon, there’s plenty to be excited about.
Joint faces Pegula on Monday, and Jones battles Rybakina on Tuesday.
