BRITISH tennis star Fran Jones has revealed why she collapsed on court on Tuesday.
The 24-year-old fell to the ground during the third set of her clash with Julia Riera in Bogota, eventually having to be wheelchaired off court.
Jones had been serving at 3-5 in the third set, having been in action at extreme altitude for nearly two-and-a-half hours.
The match in Colombia was played barely 48 hours after Jones won an ITF event in Vacaria, Brazil.
Updating fans on Instagram, the British No5 wrote: “After winning the event in Brazil on Sunday our total trip took over 24 hours, with minimal rest and recovery from a long week.
“Bogota is renowned for its altitude and often takes a few days to adapt.
“Unfortunately upon our arrival Monday afternoon we were unable to practice due to rain and this meant that aside from my low-level pre-match warm-up, my first exposure to the limited oxygen levels at a high intensity was my match.
“As the match went on, I worked hard to give myself the opportunity to stay competitive but progressively struggled, blurry vision eventually leading to collapsing, with no cramp having occurred.
“Overnight, we conducted multiple studies and it seems my heart worked a little too hard on the day but thankfully no longer-term impact.
“Bogota is one of my favourite events of the year and I hope to reconnect in 2026 under different circumstances.
After a few days’ rest, I will continue to build on the improvements made to date this season. Thank you for the messages and concern.”
Jones is No129 in the WTA rankings, just six places shy of her career best set last month.
The Bradford-born star has twice played at Wimbledon and has previously been called up by GB’ ‘s Billie Jean King Cup squad.
Jones retired from her Merida Open Akron second round clash with Emiliana Aranga in February.
She had led 4-3 in the deciding third set, but was forced to retire due to the heat.
Jones was born without two fingers and three toes due to a rare medical condition called Ectrodactyly Ectodermal Dysplasia Syndrome.
Doctors previously told Jones to give up on her tennis career but she has since thrived, winning several ITF titles.
Jones has not been named in Anne Keothavong’s GB squad for the Billie Jean King Cup qualifying tie against the Netherlands next month.
The initial squad comprised of Emma Raducanu, Sonay Kartal, Harriet Dart and Olivia Nicholls.
Earlier today Raducanu withdrew, however, citing fitness concerns.
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