-Credit:Instagram: @jakefearnley01
British tennis star Jacob Fearnley has continued his impressive rise by making it through to the third round of the Australian Open.
The 23-year-old – who is making his tournament debut in Brisbane – came from a set down to defeat Frenchman Arthur Cazaux in on Wednesday, days after dumping former Wimbledon finalist Nick Kyrgios out of the tournament in an opening round shock.
Fearnley now faces his biggest challenge yet as he prepares to face world number two Alexander Zverev – the runner-up at last year’s French Open – in round three on Friday.
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It has been some rise for the Edinburgh-born star, who this time last year was ranked 646th in the ATP ranking, having competed in just one Challenger-level event. Now, he is ranked 92nd – having reached a career high of world No.86 just over a week ago.
After battling back to seal a brilliant win over Cazaux, Fearnley was told by someone in the crowd that he was “the next Andy Murray”, a label that has never been too far away due to his Scottish heritage. However, the youngster played down the comparison, telling the supporter in question: “I don’t think so.”
But as humble as he may be, there is no question that Fearnley is a rising star in British tennis and he has been helped every step of the way by his long-term girlfriend, Keagan Polk.
The couple met during their time at Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, Texas, where Fearnley played college tennis. Polk, meanwhile, was one of the university’s best beach volleyball players.
The Dallas-born athlete is often seen cheering her boyfriend on from the stands and was in his box at Wimbledon last year as he made it through to the second round. They will celebrate their third anniversary together on Thursday, having started dating in January 2022, with Polk documenting much of their relationship on her Instagram page.
Fearnley’s years in the United States have proved invaluable for his tennis career and personal life, but he admits his time on the other side of the Atlantic has cost him something significant, with his Scottish accent being replaced by an American twang.
US tennis legend John McEnroe picked him up on that fact after his win of Kyrgios, with Fearnley jokingly replying: “It’s nowhere to be seen. It’s coming back the longer I’m outside the States.”