‘Brutal but fun’ – How US college fuelled Fearnley’s rapid rise

If some sporting promotions are rapid, Jacob Fearnley’s progression has developed at breakneck speed.

Just over a year ago, the 23-year-old Briton was unranked in the world of professional tennis.

Six months ago, I was still a college student in the United States.

This week, Fearnley has moved into the top 100 in the world on the ATP Tour, a significant milestone that dangles the carrot of direct entry into blue-ribbon Grand Slam events.

“Obviously, it’s not what I expected,” said the Scot, who reached a career-best 98th on Thursday.

“It’s come a little faster than I thought the rest of the people around me thought, and probably everyone. I’m aware that this is not the norm.”

Make no mistake, this is a notable increase.

Fearnley’s rise to No. 98 in the world, from No. 646 earlier this year, is the fourth-highest rise into the top 100 since 2000, according to ATP statistics.

Earlier this year, he graduated from Texas Christian University (TCU) with a bachelor’s degree in kinesiology, the study of human movement.

This is the point where Fearnley’s rise accelerated.

The university experience dispelled doubts

Moving to the United States had been on Fearnley’s radar for a long time, and studying at TCU, where fellow Britons Cameron Norrie and Alastair Gray were alumni, seemed a logical choice.

“I was always a little underdeveloped physically and school was a big thing; my parents wanted me to have something to fall back on if tennis didn’t work out,” Fearnley said.

“I also didn’t feel mentally prepared to play tennis. I wanted five years to develop my game, develop as a person, socialize and meet new people.”

When Fearnley arrived at TCU, the ‘Frogs’ coaching staff saw a shy 18-year-old initially held back on the court because of his doubts.

The nature of American college tennis—all noise, trash talk, 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 men’s tennis coach at TCU, told BBC Sport.

“It was a great environment for Jake because it tested him. It’s a good opportunity to grow, develop character and discover who you are.

“It’s exciting and a lot of fun. But it can also be really brutal.”

Fearnley always had “something special” but needed time to trust his ability, according to former ATP doubles player Bowen.

Finally he did it.

A five-year stint in Fort Worth brought a series of individual and team accolades, culminating in TCU’s first men’s tennis national title.

“His mind used to get overly dramatic,” Bowen said.

“Five minutes before the game he said: ‘I can’t find the grip on my forehand. Everything is falling apart.’

“I would say ‘you’ll adapt, your mind is playing tricks on you.’

“Now he has experience and a little wisdom to know what the mind does before big games.”

Patience on your ‘own path’ pays off

Fearnley’s love of tennis came about through her mother Samantha and her grandfather.

Born in the English cathedral city of Worcester, he moved to Edinburgh at the age of two and grew up in the Scottish capital.

From swinging in the backyard with a bat and ball at the age of two, he progressed to honing his skills on pitches near his home in Dalkeith.

When he was 11 he moved to Merchiston, Scotland’s only independent all-boys boarding school with a tennis academy.

By this time, he was already rubbing shoulders with the cream of the next generation of young Britons.

One of them was Jack Draper.

The British number one, ranked 20th in the world after reaching the semi-finals of the US Open last month, is five months younger than Fearnley.

The couple goes back a long way. Last week, Draper shared a slightly blurry photo of them as excited children at center court.

However, Draper’s path through the youth ranks was more successful, culminating in an appearance in the Wimbledon men’s final in 2018.

While there were notable victories against Grand Slam champions Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz in his youth, Fearnley’s teenage development was slow.

“The people around me, my coaches at the time and my parents, said everyone has their own path,” Fearnley said.

“I was very patient. I didn’t compare myself to anyone.

“Jack (Draper) was just so much better than me and that’s 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 Great Britain for the grass season.

Winning an ATP Challenger title in Nottingham was the first step towards the limelight at home.

Success at the second level led to a Wimbledon wild card and ultimately a competition against 24-time Major champion Novak Djokovic on Center Court, which provided invaluable experience.

After Wimbledon, Fearnley returned to the hard courts and has recorded 20 wins in his last 21 matches on the Challenger Tour.

The three titles he has won during his career (one in the United States and two in France) have propelled him into the top 100.

No player comes close to matching the 547 places he has climbed this season.

Fearnley naturally hopes that reaching the top 100 isn’t the end of his rise.

But he has still played only two events at tour level: Wimbledon and Eastbourne this year.

Making it to the main ATP Tour, where coherence and clarity of thought distinguish the best, will be a real test.

Fearnley describes himself as an “aggressive counterpuncher” whose strength lies in his movement and getting “a lot of balls” on the court.

They plan to play qualifying in Stockholm, Basel and Vienna before the end of the season.

“The levels go up, everyone does things a little better, so I’m just adjusting my game to the demands of the sport,” he said.

“I’ll see how my game goes at the ATP events.

“No matter what the result is, I will learn a lot from those experiences and use them to improve my game.”