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Retired great Ash Barty says she's hopes teenager Emerson Jones can play without pressure at next week's Australian Open and can enjoy the experience.
Former world No.1 Ash Barty is urging uber-talented teen Emerson Jones to embrace her first appearance at a grand slam rather than be concerned about results.
Jones will make her debut at the Australian Open with the 16-year-old, top-ranked in the junior girls' world rankings, already drawing comparisons with three-time major champion Barty.
She banked her first win over a WTA top-50-ranked player at the Adelaide International, the Gold Coast youngster sweeping aside China's world No.37 Wang Xinyu 6-4 6-0 in the opening round.
Speaking at Melbourne Park - the scene of her 2022 Australian Open triumph - the retired great said Jones shouldn't try to be the "next Barty".
"Be the best Emerson Jones that you can be," was 28-year-old Barty's advice to the teen.
"Her game has a lot of developing to do. She's only a young teenager, 16 years old, so her whole life is ahead of her, her whole career, so this is very much the infancy of where she's beginning, so I'm excited for her."
Barty, who is pregnant with her second baby, said while she knew Jones would want to impress she hoped her fellow Queenslander could play without pressure at the Open and savour the experience of a maiden slam.
"Getting to know Emo a lot more over the last couple of years, she's a very driven person, she's passionate, she wants to do well, she's focused, she's professional," Barty said.
"But I really do think this Australian summer is almost the perfect opportunity for her to soak it all in without that pressure.
"She will want to do well and want to play her best tennis but I think it's about giving herself the opportunity to embrace it all and soak it all in.
"I hope she's able to come out at this Australian Open and play with a smile on her face, play with freedom because that's when she plays her best tennis, so fingers crossed she can have a really positive experience regardless of the result."
Jones received a wildcard into this year's Open after some impressive results in 2024 which saw her become the world No.1 junior - the first Australian to achieve the feat since Jelena Dokic in 1998.
Last year she finished runner-up in the Australian Open girls' final to Slovak Renata Jamrichova, while she fell in the first round of Open qualifying in the women's singles.
Coached by Dave Taylor, who steered Sam Stosur to a US Open crown in 2011, she also made the girls' final at Wimbledon.
