Fearnley 'still in awe' as he returns to Wimbledon

BBC News

20 hours ago

Wimbledon 2025Dates: 30 June-13 July Venue: All England ClubCoverage: Live across BBC TV, radio and online with extensive coverage on BBC iPlayer, Red Button, Connected TVs and mobile app.
On his Wimbledon debut last year Jacob Fearnley faced Novak Djokovic on Centre Court, having been ranked outside the top 500 a little more than a month before.The Scot even took a set off the seven-time champion in his second-round defeat.Now the 23-year-old is just outside the top 50 and has picked up more than $1m (£728,750) in tournament earnings."It is a bit different," he told BBC Sport. "I have to keep reminding myself that this is still a really special place and not to take it for granted."Coming in as a wildcard last year I was in complete awe and, to be honest, I still am. I get goose bumps when I walk in the gates."
Fearnley will experience another show court this time as he gets ready to open against the much-hyped teenager Joao Fonseca.The 18-year-old Brazilian has beaten Fearnley in both of their previous encounters, most recently at Indian Wells in March."There's a reason why everyone talks about him," said Fearnley. "He's earned that respect from all the players"It's going to be a difficult match, playing on Court One. It doesn't get much better than that."
Fearnley has been practicing with Jack Draper at the All England Club, with the pair good friends from their time on the junior circuit.Draper goes into the tournament as the fourth seed, with Fearnley Great Britain's number two in the rankings."We all look up to Jack and what he's done, with the rise he's had from where he was," said Fearnley. "It's very inspiring for a guy like me."I'm just trying to keep improving. Hopefully, one day I can be where Jack is but the way he goes about his business is hard to follow. He's very professional and the level he's playing is really high."Fearnley enjoyed wins over Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner in the juniors but has taken a different path from those superstars of the game.Just prior to his first appearance at Wimbledon, he graduated from Texas Christian University (TCU) in the United States, having spent five years playing college tennis."I felt I only reached my college peak after my fifth year," he explained."It's a time when you can mature and figure out what your priorities are. I realised tennis is what I want to do and I then put all the eggs in one basket."