It is undoubtedly a little too early for Jacob Fearnley to be hailed the new Andy Murray, especially given when he opened his mouth courtside after his shock Australian Open victory against Nick Kyrgios on Monday he confirmed immediately that he had lost his Scottish accent.
Having spent five years at Texas Christian University, Fearnley was asked by John McEnroe where it had gone as he joked: “It’s nowhere to be seen. It’s coming back the longer I’m outside the States.”
The British No 3 and world No 92 was born in Dalkeith, just outside Edinburgh, and has his late grandparents to thank for encouraging him to take up tennis at a tender age before his becoming a top-ranked junior and competing in the same ranks as Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner when he was 15. In what may prove to be a foretaste of things to come he claimed victories against the pair who would subsequently go on to become grand slam champions.
Fearnley refused the temptation to turn professional and his time at college over the Atlantic has been spent studying for a degree in kinesiology as well as improving his game on the tennis court.
“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 told the BBC in October, as he moved into the world’s top 100 on the ATP Tour. “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.”
As for the success on Monday, he told McEnroe: “I was extremely nervous before the match and I didn’t get too much sleep. I knew it was going to be a rowdy match. I thought I played good. I’m sorry for Nick, I knew he was dealing with some stuff but he played some unbelievable tennis and I thought it was a great match. I just tried to focus on myself as best as I could. All things considered it’s probably the best match I’ve ever played. I’ve had a few heckles thrown my way in [American] college tennis but this was something I’d never experienced before.”
Kyrgios, the home favourite and 2022 Wimbledon finalist, was hampered by an abdominal strain as Fearnley won 7-6 (3), 6-3, 7-6 (2) in 2hr 19min in Melbourne. Kyrgios, who hinted afterwards that he may have played his final singles match at the Australian Open, was featuring in his first grand-slam event since the 2022 US Open after recovering from chronic wrist and hip injuries. Fearnley, meanwhile, will next face the Frenchman Arthur Cazaux, the world No 78.
