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7 October 2024
If some sporting rises are rapid, Jacob Fearnley’s progression has been played out in warp speed.
Little over a year ago, the 23-year-old Briton was unranked in professional tennis.
At the start of 2024, he was still a university student in the United States.
In October, Fearnley moved into the world’s top 100 on the ATP Tour – a significant landmark dangling the carrot of direct entry into the blue-riband Grand Slam events.
And now, he is into the third round of the Australian Open on his first appearance at Melbourne Park.
“It is not what I expected,” the Scot told BBC Sport in October.
“It’s come a little bit quicker than I – and probably everyone – thought. I’m aware this isn’t the norm.”
Make no mistake, it is remarkable.
Fearnley’s climb from 646th to 98th in the world rankings in 2024 is the fifth biggest annual rise into the top 100 since 2000, according to ATP statistics.
He graduated from Texas Christian University (TCU) with a degree in kinesiology – the study of human movement – early last year.
That is the point at which Fearnley’s ascent accelerated.
University experience quelled self-doubt
Moving to the US had long been on Fearnley’s radar, and studying at TCU – where fellow Britons Cameron Norrie and Alastair Gray are alumni – seemed a logical choice.
“I was always a bit physically underdeveloped and school was a big thing – my parents wanted me to have something to fall back on if tennis didn’t work,” Fearnley said.
“I also didn’t feel ready mentally to play tennis. I wanted five years to develop my game, develop as a person, socialise and meet new people.”
When Fearnley arrived at TCU, coaching staff at the ‘Frogs’ saw a shy 18-year-old initially held back on the court by self-doubt.
The nature of US college tennis – all noise, trash-talking and team-bonding – is not for the faint-hearted.
“College tennis is a very emotional form of tennis. There is a lot more energy from the players and other teams,” Devin Bowen, assistant coach of men’s tennis at TCU, told BBC Sport.
“It was a great environment for Jake because it tested him. It is a good opportunity to grow up, build character and find out who you are.
“It is exciting and a lot of fun. But it can also really be brutal.”
Fearnley always had “something special” but needed time to trust his ability, according to former ATP doubles player Bowen.
Eventually he did.
A five-year spell in Fort Worth brought a host of individual and team accolades, culminating in TCU’s first national men’s tennis title.
“His mind used to get super overly-dramatic,” Bowen said.
“Five minutes before the match he’d say: ‘I can’t find the grip on my forehand. It’s all falling apart.’
“I’d say: ‘You’ll settle in, your mind is playing tricks on you.’
“Now he has experience, and a little wisdom, to know it is what the mind does before big matches.”
Patience on ‘own path’ pays off
Fearnley’s love of tennis came through his mum Samantha and his grandad.
Born in English cathedral city Worcester, he moved to Edinburgh aged two and grew up in the Scottish capital.
From knockarounds in the backyard with a bat and ball aged two, he progressed to honing his skills on courts near his home in Dalkeith.
A move to Merchiston, Scotland’s only all-boys independent boarding school which boasts a tennis academy, came aged 11.
By that time, he was already rubbing shoulders with the cream of Britain’s next crop of youngsters.
One of them was Jack Draper.
The British number one is five months younger than Fearnley and the pair go way back.
When Fearnley broke into the top 100, Draper shared a slightly blurry photo of them as starry-eyed kids on Centre Court.
Draper’s path through the junior ranks was more successful, however, culminating in an appearance in the Wimbledon boys’ final in 2018.
While there were notable wins against Grand Slam champions Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz in his junior days, Fearnley’s teenage development was a slow-burner.
“People around me – my coaches and my parents – were saying that everyone has their own path,” said Fearnley, who is coached by former TCU team-mate Juan Martin.
“I was very patient. I was not comparing myself to anyone.
“Jack [Draper] was simply a lot better than me and that is totally fine.
“I don’t think comparing myself to someone like him would have been beneficial for my tennis.”
Will Fearnley’s rise continue?
Within weeks of leaving TCU, Fearnley returned to Britain for the grass-court season.
Winning an ATP Challenger title in Nottingham was the first step into the spotlight back home.
The second-tier success led to a Wimbledon wildcard and, ultimately, a contest against 24-time major champion Novak Djokovic on Centre Court which provided invaluable experience.
After Wimbledon, Fearnley switched back to hard courts and rattled off 20 wins in 21 Challenger matches.
The hat-trick of titles the run yielded – one in the US and two in France – propelled him into the top 100.
No player came close to matching the 547 places he climbed last season.
Fearnley, naturally, hopes his rise continues.
He describes himself as an “aggressive counter-puncher” whose strength lies in his movement and getting “a lot of balls” in the court.
But he knew the step up to ATP events was another big step.
“The levels get higher, everyone’s doing things slightly better so it’s just adjusting my game to the demands of the sport,” he said.
“No matter what the outcome, I’ll learn a lot from those experiences and use that to improve my game.”
A version of this piece was first published on 7 October 2024.
