Australian Open 2025: Teen Stars Emerson Jones and Maya Joint Set to Shine

The 2025 Australian Open will see the debut of two promising teenage stars, Emerson Jones and Maya Joint, as they look to fill the void left by Ash Barty's retirement.

Emerson Jones, the junior world No. 1, comes into Melbourne with a top-50 win already in 2025. She's just 16 years of age, but plays brave tennis, with aggression one of her key traits. Jones has been tipped to follow in the footsteps of Barty, and she'll be hoping to make a statement in her first Grand Slam main draw appearance against Elena Rybakina.

Maya Joint is 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. Joint will be looking to replicate her second-round major appearance at Flushing Meadows late last year when she takes on No. 7 seed American Jessica Pegula.

The rise of Australia's teen sensations hasn't escaped the eyes of the nation's top-ranked men, with world No. 8 Alex De Minaur heaping praise onto the duo on Friday leading into the Australian Open. Fellow seeded Aussie Alexei Popyrin was equally upbeat about the future of Australian women's tennis.

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.