From his impressive rise through the junior ranks to his upcoming Centre Court clash with Novak Djokovic, Jacob Fearnley has become a name to watch in British tennis. But how did this young talent first pick up a racket? The answer lies not on a prestigious court, but in a much more personal place – his own backyard.

Jacob Fearnley was born in Scotland and he grew up in Dalkeith, which is situated just outside of Edinburg. He went to Merchiston Castle all-boys boarding school in Edinburg, where he began to develop as a junior player. His mother and grandparents played a huge role in shaping his tennis career. His mother used to wake up early to provide for him by heading to work at the National Health Service as a human resources manager. Speaking about the role of his mother in his career, Fearnley said, “My mom obviously has made a huge impact on me just supporting me, believing in me more than anyone. I’m super grateful for her.”

He further went on to add, “She’s an unbelievable human and she’s done so much for me, especially in tennis.” The 22-year-old Brit spent almost 5 years at the Texas Christian University. During his time over there he suffered a series of injuries that had eventually hindered his progress at the college for some time. However, getting the love and support from his close ones helped him a lot during that time. Reflecting on the role of his grandparents he said, “They were huge. They actually got me into tennis when I was younger, they had a big back garden and I used to play with them on it when I was really young. They were huge, my biggest supporters.”

Fearnley revealed his mom had to go to work pretty early and he used to often spend his whole days at his grandparents’ place. Over there he revealed, “I was either playing with a table tennis bat and a table tennis ball when I was about two into hitting volleys, maybe when I was about four or five.” That’s how he started to stir up interest his in the racquet sport and began playing it regularly. Well, his mother and grandparents aren’t the only ones who made a significant impact in carryforward his career by helping him learn how to climb up the stairs slowly and gradually.

Jacob Fearnley revealed the “best decision” in his life

Fearnley soon became one of the Top 30 juniors in the world and also defeated Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner during his junior days. However, despite all these successes, Jacob Fearnley opted to postpone a potential pro career to continue his growth at TCU. Speaking about this decision he added, “I think college helped me a lot. TCU was the best decision I ever made. I learned so much from being there. I got the opportunity to be coached by, I think, two (David Roditi and Devin Bowen) of the best coaches in the world.” Even David Brewer and Marcel du Coudray played a huge role in his development.

In 2018, he got the chance to practice with Roger Federer and he says he has learned a lot from that brief session. Just a few months ago he was outside the Top 500 and now he’s number 277 in the world. That’s how rapidly his career has grown over this short span of time. He recently also won a Challenger title in Nottingham and just before competing in this tournament he got the chance to practice with British number one, Jack Draper, and Cameron Norrie (another former TCU star).

Jacob Fearnley has always looked upon Andy Murray while growing up. Speaking more about his admiration for the other one from the ‘Big Four’, he revealed, “He’s the best role model that a British tennis player can have, especially a Scottish player like myself. I watched him growing up, the way he climbed up the rankings, the way he competes, the way he plays, it’s super special to see.” Interestingly, now he has a chance of becoming the next player after Murray from the host nation to defeat Djokovic at Wimbledon. Can he do it?