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Who is Jacob Fearnley? Britain’s rising star facing Nick Kyrgios at Australian Open

Who is Jacob Fearnley? Britain’s rising star facing Nick Kyrgios at Australian Open

Great Britain’s Jacob Fearnley makes his Australian Open debut and expects to face a hostile atmosphere when he takes on Nick Kyrgios.

The 23-year-old Scot shot up the rankings after turning professional last season, breaking into the world’s top 100 to qualify for the Melbourne grand slam.

He was drawn to face the returning Kyrgios in the opening round and the controversial Australian has been scheduled to play in his usual raucous late slot on John Cain Arena.

Kyrgios has not played at the Australian Open since 2022 due to injury while Fearnley has made an astonishing ascent since taking a set off Novak Djokovic in the second round of last year’s Wimbledon.

Fearnley was born in Scotland in July and grew up in Dalkeith, just outside of Edinburgh. He was brought up by mum Samanthan and credits his late grandparents for getting him into tennis at the age of four or five as he first picked up a racket in their back garden. He went to Merchiston Castle all-boys boarding school in Edinburgh, where he began to develop as a junior tennis player.

Fearnley was a top-ranked junior and competed in the same ranks as Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner when he was 15, even claiming wins against two players who would go on to become grand slam champions. His reputation as a junior allowed Fearnley to hit with eight-time Wimbledon champion Roger Federer at the Championships when he was 17.

Instead of turning pro, Fearnley opted to go to college in the United States at Texas Christian University and combined his work on the tennis court with studying for a degree in kinesiology. He described going the college route as “the best decision I ever made” and although injuries disrupted some of his progress at TCU he finished his five years there with the national championship.

Fearnley’s big breakthrough arrived on his return to the UK and the start of the grass-court season. As a qualifier, he defeated fellow British players Dan Evans, Billy Harris and Charles Broom to win his first ATP Challenger Tour title in Nottingham, a result that earned him a wildcard for the Wimbledon main draw when he was initially hoping to just make qualifying.

Jacob Fearnley won the Challenger event at Nottinghan, beating other British players (Getty Images for LTA)
Jacob Fearnley won the Challenger event at Nottinghan, beating other British players (Getty Images for LTA)

Since Wimbledon, Fearnley played four more events on the Challenger Tour and won three of them to break into the world’s top-100, even earning himself a place in Great Britain’s Davis Cup team.

“It’s obviously not what I expected,” Fearnley told the Press Association in October. “It came definitely faster than I expected but I put in a lot of hard work so I think it’s not too surprising that I was able to reach this level. It’s a great feeling and I’m really happy with the way things have gone.

“I’m aware this maybe isn’t the norm so I’m definitely trying to stay in the moment and not let too many thoughts and too much of what is happening outside of the court get to me. It’s very difficult to do.

“It is also finding time to enjoy what I’ve been able to do and be aware it’s an amazing achievement and something I’m not going to take for granted and enjoy it while it lasts. Hopefully on to bigger and better things.”

Jacob Fearnley, right, shakes hands with Novak Djokovic at Wimbledon (PA Wire)
Jacob Fearnley, right, shakes hands with Novak Djokovic at Wimbledon (PA Wire)

Now he is preparing for the unique challenge of facing Kyrgios at the Australian Open: “It’s not a match you want to see in Australia. I know that the crowd’s going to be against me. Obviously there was a lot of excitement, as well, (about the draw) because it’s not a common match.

“I’ve been to some pretty hostile environments. Probably not as many people as are going to be watching on Monday. I’ve definitely had some nasty things thrown in my direction. You just have to ignore it and move on.

“I think the best thing I can do is just try to enjoy it as best as I can. Obviously focusing on myself is one thing. I understand that’s going to be very difficult to do. It’s still pretty early in my career. To have an opportunity and an experience like this is really cool.”

Includes reporting from PA