We Welcome Up and Coming Tennis Player as Patron of the ED Society
June 2021
In 2020, we were very fortunate to have made contact with up-and-coming 20-year-old tennis player Francesca Jones, who was born with Ectrodactyly Ectodermal Dysplasia (EEC), which affects the fingers and toes.
Fran has three fingers and a thumb on each hand, three toes on her right foot and four toes on her left. She also started life with webbed fingers. When playing tennis, she needs to use an extra lightweight racket with a thin handle to help accommodate her grip.
Fran has three fingers and a thumb on each hand, three toes on her right foot and four toes on her left. She also started life with webbed fingers. When playing tennis, she needs to use an extra lightweight racket with a thin handle to help accommodate her grip.
Fran has three fingers and a thumb on each hand, three toes on her right foot and four toes on her left. She also started life with webbed fingers. When playing tennis, she needs to use an extra lightweight racket with a thin handle to help accommodate her grip.
In 2020, Fran qualified for the first time at the Australian Open. She ranked 241 in the women’s singles having never featured in a grand slam. Fran was the only one of Britain’s five entrants to make it past the opening round of the qualifying events.
As of April 2021, her ranking with the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) is world No. 190.
This year will be Francesca’s debut at Wimbledon. Her first match will be taking place today (29th June 2021) against Coco Gauff at 1.40pm. Please tune in!
We are so excited to have gained such celebrity endorsement and support for the Society from Francesca. She wants to help and inspire others to overcome adversity as she has done. “The greatest thing in life is to do what people say you can’t do”.
Earlier this year we spoke with Francesca and are thrilled to announce she has agreed to come on board as a the Patron of the ED Society. We are grateful and hopeful that with her story to share, her support, following and media coverage, we can continue to raise awareness of Ectodermal Dysplasias and the ED Society’s mission together.
You can follow Fran on Instagram – @fran_jones_
A huge thank you goes to one of our Trustees, who has enabled us to get in touch with Clare Baldwin. We are currently in the process of lining up an interview between her and Francesca for us……. watch this space!
Francesca sure has been making the headlines! You can read some of the latest articles here –