Jacob Fearnley has deleted Instagram because of the attention generated by his Australian Open draw against Nick Kyrgios but the Scotsman will try to enjoy the experience. The opening-round match, Kyrgios’ first at Melbourne Park for three years because of injury, will take place on Monday evening on John Cain Arena, where the maverick Australian encourages his supporters to generate febrile atmospheres.
Liam Broady described facing Kyrgios on the same court in 2022 as “absolutely awful”, revealing he had faced abuse from spectators, so it is no surprise that Fearnley admitted to feeling anxiety ahead of what will be just his third match at a grand slam.
“It’s not a match you want to see in Australia,” said the 23-year-old. “I know that the crowd’s going to be against me. Obviously there was a lot of excitement, as well, (about the draw) because it’s not a common match.”. Fearnley has experience from college tennis in the United States, with the Edinburgh player only turning professional last spring before a meteoric rise into the top 100.
“I’ve been to some pretty hostile environments,” he said. “Probably not as many people as are going to be watching on Monday. I’ve definitely had some nasty things thrown in my direction. You just have to ignore it and move on. “I think the best thing I can do is just try to enjoy it as best as I can. Obviously focusing on myself is one thing. I understand that’s going to be very difficult to do. It’s still pretty early in my career. To have an opportunity and an experience like this is really cool.”.
