A year ago, Fearnley was barely on anyone’s radar, sitting outside the world’s top 500 and attending classes at Texas Christian University. Fast forward to today, and his rapid ascent since turning pro in June is nothing short of remarkable. Now, after advancing to the second round in Miami, he’s poised to achieve his highest career ranking yet.
There’s even a chance Fearnley could break into the top 70, provided he can push further in the Masters tournament. This event is a notch below the ATP’s prestigious Grand Slams. However, standing in his way is German powerhouse and top seed Alexander Zverev, whom he’ll face on Friday.
This upcoming match is particularly interesting as it pits the two against each other in a replay of their Australian Open fourth-round clash. Back then, Zverev secured a decisive victory with scores of 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 on his way to the Melbourne finals.
In his recent match against Bonzi, Fearnley displayed impressive grit and resilience, both mentally and physically. Despite needing a medical timeout to treat his left hip before the deciding set, he maintained his focus. Even though he lost his serve right at the start, Fearnley quickly regained ground with an aggressive strategy that saw him breaking back immediately.
Reflecting on the match with Sky Sports, Fearnley admitted, “It was incredibly tough. My left leg was acting up, twitching a bit, and I just had to dig deep. I wasn’t interested in long rallies; I was either missing the shot or going for the winner. I had no choice but to push through.”
