Jacob Fearnley reveals his 'excitement' ahead of Nick Kyrgios clash as the Brit prepares to make his Australian Open debut against the great disruptor in just his SIXTH tour-level match
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Jacob Fearnley admits he is looking forward with some trepidation to the dubious pleasure of being the straight man to Nick Kyrgios’s joker. The 23-year-old Scot will face the great disruptor in Monday’s night session match on the raucous John Cain arena, not before 8am UK time. It will be quite the way to make his Australian Open debut.
![[Nick Kyrgios has not played in a Grand Slam since the 2022 US Open due to injury issues]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/01/11/15/93990963-14273823-image-m-121_1736608075108.jpg)
‘It was a bit of anxiety, for sure,’ he said of his reaction to the draw. ‘It's not the kind of match you want to see in Australia. I know the crowd's going to be against me. ‘There was a lot of excitement, because it's not a common match, but also a bit of nervousness.
![[Fearnley admitted he is juggling feelings of excitement and nervousness ahead of the matchup]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/01/11/15/93990981-14273823-image-m-123_1736608094881.jpg)
‘The best thing I can do is enjoy it and embrace it. I’m still pretty early in my career. To have an opportunity and an experience like this is really cool.’. This will be only Fearnley’s sixth tour-level match and it is fair to say he has encountered nothing on the Challenger circuit which will remotely compare to what awaits. But he does have other experience on which to draw: Fearnley cut his teeth in the wild west of US college tennis and he hopes that will stand him in good stead.
Jacob Fearnley will make his Australian Open debut in just his fifth-tour level career match. Nick Kyrgios has not played in a Grand Slam since the 2022 US Open due to injury issues. Fearnley admitted he is juggling feelings of excitement and nervousness ahead of the matchup.
