CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Head coach Brad Dancer announced on Monday the addition of Australia native Hayden Jones to Illinois' 2025 signing class.
Jones signed a Big Ten Athletics Scholarship Agreement and will join the Fighting Illini in the fall of 2025.
"We are excited to have Hayden and his family join the Illini," Dancer said. "We are impressed by the meticulous approach Hayden took in the recruiting process. This is a young man who is filled with drive and determination. Hayden's competitive spirit will pay big dividends for the Illini, and we are looking forward to coaching Hayden and helping him grow toward becoming a top ATP professional."
Hailing from Gold Coast, Australia, Jones boasts a career-high ITF junior ranking of No. 8 in the world and has achieved career-best ATP rankings of No. 970 in singles and No. 602 in doubles. Jones earned wild-card entries into singles qualifying for the Australian Open in 2024 and 2025, and he was named the 2024 Australian Tennis Junior Male Athlete of the Year after being a finalist in 2022 and 2023.
At the age of 16, Jones represented his home country at the 2022 Junior Davis Cup, leading Australia to a sixth-place finish at the event. He has played at the junior level of all four Grand Slam events, including a career-best singles quarterfinal appearance at the 2024 Australian Open Junior Championships. His career-best doubles finish was a trip to the semifinals in the doubles main draw at the US Open Junior Championships in 2023.
Alongside younger sister Emerson, the current No. 1 female junior player in the world, Jones received a wild card into the 2025 Australian Open mixed doubles main draw.
Across his time at the junior level, Jones has competed in the main draw at 10 junior Grand Slams. He claimed his first professional tournament victory by winning the doubles title at M25 Swan Hill in March 2024.
"I chose Illinois because I felt like the coaching team will help me improve my game," Jones said. "I know I can have a positive impact within the team environment, and I look forward to joining the team this fall."
Jones is the fourth player in the Illini's highly touted 2025 signing class, joining David Bakonyi, Sasha Colleu, and Adam Jilly.
