- Jacob Fearley will face Nick Kyrgios in the first round of the Australian Open
- The 23-year-old has played just five matches at tour level after recently graduating from university
- This year’s Australian Open is Kyrgios’ first Grand Slam since the 2022 US Open
Jacob Fearnley admits he is anticipating the dubious pleasure of being the straight man to Nick Kyrgios’ prankster with some trepidation.
The 23-year-old Scot will meet the big disruptor in Monday night’s session match at the raucous John Cain Arena, not before 8am UK time. It will be a very good way to make his Australian Open debut.
“It was definitely a bit of fear,” he said of his reaction to the draw. “This is not the kind of match you want to see in Australia. I know the crowd will be against me.
‘There was a lot of tension, because it is not an ordinary match, but there was also a bit of nervousness.
‘The best I can do is enjoy it and embrace it. I’m still quite early in my career. It’s really cool to get an opportunity and an experience like this.’
This will be only Fearnley’s sixth tour-level event and it’s fair to say he hasn’t encountered anything on the Challenger circuit that even remotely compares to what awaits us. But he does have other experiences to draw on: Fearnley cut his teeth in the Wild West of American college tennis and he hopes that will serve him well.
Jacob Fearnley will make his Australian Open debut in his fifth tour level career match
Nick Kyrgios has not played in a Grand Slam since the 2022 US Open due to injury problems
Fearnley admitted he is juggling feelings of excitement and nervousness ahead of the match
“It’s going to be a little bit livelier than college, but as close as it can get,” said the world number 86, a recent graduate of Texas Christian University. “Hopefully some of my experiences at university will help me on Monday.
“I’ve been in some pretty hostile environments and some bad things have come my way. You just have to ignore it and move on.”
Kyrgios is a polarizing figure, but Fearnley believes he has an important role to play in the game.
“I’m a big fan,” he said. “There are people who don’t agree with the things he does, but I think it’s great for the sport. He increases the number of viewers. He puts people in chairs.
“And aside from what he’s like off the field, he’s doing some incredible things on the field.”
Indeed he does, but this is the 29-year-old Aussie’s first Grand Slam since the 2022 US Open and he is recovering from an abdominal injury. Kyrgios’ game will be as rusty as Fearnley’s after an incredible year that saw him rise from 650th in the rankings.
The Brit has a serious chance of pulling off an upset, but to do so he will have to face not only Kyrgios, but also 10,000 beery locals.