Loretta Harrop was an accomplished athlete, securing an Olympic silver medal in triathlon. Now, her daughter is making waves as the top-ranked junior in a different sport: tennis.
Harrop, originally from Brisbane, started as a swimmer before taking up cycling and running, encouraged by her brother Luke. They both competed internationally, and she participated in the 2000 Sydney Olympics, finishing fifth.
Tragedy struck in 2002 when Luke was fatally injured in a hit-and-run while cycling. Harrop, who had also lost her mother to cancer at 18, drew strength from her brother’s memory to excel at the 2004 Athens Olympics.
She performed exceptionally, leading the triathlon race with her strong swimming. However, Kate Allen surpassed her in the final section of the 10km run.
Despite missing gold, Harrop’s achievements were recognized, with a building at her former school named in her honor. She is married to Brad Jones, a former Australian Rules football player. Their children are both gifted tennis players.
Their son Hayden, born in 2006, has reached the top junior rankings, competing at Wimbledon and reaching the US Open junior doubles semi-finals.
However, it’s their younger daughter, Emerson Jones, who is currently making a significant impact in tennis.
Emerson, a sensation from the Gold Coast, reached the finals of the junior Australian Open and Wimbledon in 2024. She turned 16 during Wimbledon and achieved the world No. 1 junior ranking that year. She also secured her first ITF Circuit title at the NSW Open in October.
This achievement made her the first Australian to be ranked junior world No. 1 since Jelena Dokic in 1998.
Jones is known for her strong all-court style, drawing comparisons to “the new Ash Barty.” She made headlines by defeating world No. 37 Xinyu Wang in Adelaide in January, marking her first WTA Tour win and breaking into the top 300 rankings.
This victory earned her a wildcard entry into the Australian Open women’s singles, her first major senior Grand Slam appearance. Despite a tough match against former Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina, the experience at just 16 is expected to be invaluable. Australian tennis enthusiasts are optimistic about her future success and potential Major wins.
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