Wimbledon 2025: Jacob Fearnley ‘still in awe’ on return to All England Club

Fearnley has been practising 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.”