"It came a bit unexpected": Jacob Fearnley received 'surreal' Novak Djokovic offer as legendary Serbian remembered Wimbledon scare
ATP
Jacob Fearnley was the biggest riser last year when it came to his ATP Ranking and is seen as a real future star in the sport. But he got the tips and tricks off a certain 24-time Grand Slam champion after an unexpected offer.
Fearnley who played Alexander Zverev at the Australian Open practiced with Djokovic before his win over Carlos Alcaraz as he remembered when he took a set off him last summer at Wimbledon.
“Yeah, it was cool. It came a bit unexpected. It was really fun. One of his other coaches came up to me and asked in the locker room. I was about to leave, and he was like: 'Would you want to hit with Novak?'" said Fearnley.
“And obviously I was like: 'Yeah, sure!'. It was really cool. Obviously he was warming up for a match, so it's a little bit different. But to hit with him is always great. And Andy was on the court as well, which was cool. It was a good experience for me and my coach.
“It was a little bit of a surreal moment. It's amazing to get those opportunities. When you get that kind of opportunity, you do it and you try and enjoy it. I was obviously a little bit nervous still, especially before a match because you want to make it as good as possible.
“If it was just like a practice, you're a little bit more relaxed. But I knew he was playing a really big match, so I wanted to make it as good of a warm up as possible. I was pleased when he won, when he started hitting the ball really nice. I was like 'Yeah, that was a nice warm-up'.”
But he is a player that Djokovic gives time to him and recognises when they're in corridors and physio rooms he continued.
“I was in the physio room with him,” added the Scot. “It was just me, my physio and him, and he said hi to me, and then I walked past him going to a press conference, and he nodded at me.
“So it's quite cool when he does that, because obviously he's a massive name, but he still remembers when I when I played him, and hopefully now he remembers because I hit with him on Rod. Obviously, he's got a lot going on. He's got a lot of bigger and better things to do than say hi to me.”
Of course the big question was about Fearnley's interaction with Andy Murray. Both share comparisons being Scottish and being the forerunner in that department, he said they had a bit of chatter but nothing major as he is dialled in as a coach.
“Obviously I have a little bit of interaction. He said hi to me and thanks for doing it. When he's on the court with Novak, he's extremely focused and locked in, so he doesn't really have time to talk to me too much. But obviously he's doing an exceptional job.
“And I think you saw the way Novak reacted afterwards, went up to just Andy in the box and gave him a hug. So he's obviously doing something right for Novak. I think we all knew he was going to be an extremely good coach. The way he saw the game when he was a player, it was always going to translate to being an amazing coach, for sure.”
Samuel GillEditor-in-Chief
Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of TennisUpToDate.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces across the TennisUpToDate network, playing a central role in the daily operation and development of the site.
Based in Leicester, Samuel has a broad background in tennis media. In his current role, he works closely with editors and writers to ensure coverage meets clear journalistic standards, with particular attention to verification, consistency, and timely updates when new information becomes available.
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