Jake Fearnley will not obsess about cracking the world top 100 but is happy to linger on the fright he gave Novak Djokovic.
The 23-year-old Scot took a set from the seven-time former champion in a three-hour epic on Centre Court that thrilled home fans at Wimbledon this summer.
Fearnley has, meanwhile, won three Challenger titles – coming from a set down to beat home hope Quentin Halys in the latest in Rennes this month – since recently graduating from Texas Christian University.
Now ranked 126 – an improvement of 520 places since January – he is knocking on the door of a real milestone in the ATP standings.
“To be in the situation I’m in, three months after leaving college, is pretty spectacular,” he told BBC Scotland.
“There are so many incentives to being in the top 100. It’s crazy – the difference between being 102 and 98 is huge.
“Getting into the main draw at the Australian Open… you’re main draw of a Slam, financial incentives, everything is big.
“It can be a little bit of a trap to set those goals because, if it doesn’t happen, maybe I’ll perceive this year as being a failure when in fact it’s been the complete opposite.
“Even just to be close is exceptional in itself.”
Even if Fearnley did break into the century club, it would not be the highlight of his year. Nor would any of the impressive wins at Challenger level, that he celebrated in Nottingham, Lincoln in the United States and Rennes in France.
The best thing he did in 2024 was make a 24-time Grand Slam winner work really hard for his place in Wimbledon’s third round.
“There are so many incentives to being in the top 100. It’s crazy – the difference between being 102 and 98 is huge.
“Getting into the main draw at the Australian Open… you’re main draw of a Slam, financial incentives, everything is big.
“It can be a little bit of a trap to set those goals because, if it doesn’t happen, maybe I’ll perceive this year as being a failure when in fact it’s been the complete opposite.
“Even just to be close is exceptional in itself.”
Even if Fearnley did break into the century club, it would not be the highlight of his year. Nor would any of the impressive wins at Challenger level, that he celebrated in Nottingham, Lincoln in the United States and Rennes in France.
The best thing he did in 2024 was make a 24-time Grand Slam winner work really hard for his place in Wimbledon’s third round.
