Loretta Harrop achieved greatness in triathlon, winning an Olympic silver medal. Now, her daughter, Emerson Jones, is making her own mark as the world’s top-ranked junior tennis player.
Harrop, originally a swimmer from Brisbane, transitioned to triathlon with encouragement from her brother Luke, adding cycling and running to her skills.
They competed together internationally, and she participated in the 2000 home Olympics, finishing fifth.
Tragically, in 2002, Luke was killed in a hit-and-run while training on his bike.
Harrop, who also lost her mother to cancer at 18, dedicated her performance at the Athens 2004 Olympics to her brother’s memory.
She led the triathlon race with her strong swimming but was narrowly defeated in the final part of the 10km run by Kate Allen, securing a silver medal.
Despite not achieving gold, Harrop is celebrated; her old school even named a house after her.
Her husband, Brad Jones, is a former Aussie Rules player. Their children are now making names for themselves in tennis.
Their son Hayden reached the top junior rankings, competing at Wimbledon and the US Open.
However, it’s their younger daughter, Emerson Jones, who is currently making waves in the tennis world.
Emerson, from the Gold Coast, reached the finals of the junior Australian Open and Wimbledon in 2024. She achieved the world No. 1 junior ranking and won her first ITF Circuit title at the NSW Open.
She is the first Australian to be ranked junior world No. 1 since Jelena Dokic in 1998.
Jones is known for her strong all-court game, drawing comparisons to Ash Barty. She gained attention by defeating world No. 37 Xinyu Wang in Adelaide, marking her first WTA Tour win and entering the top 300 rankings.
This victory led to a wildcard entry into the Australian Open, her first senior Grand Slam main draw. Despite a loss to Elena Rybakina, the experience at just 16 years old is seen as valuable for her future. Australian tennis enthusiasts are optimistic about her potential for major wins in the years to come.
