Fearnley Shocks US Open! Overcomes Nerves & Heckler for Zverev Clash
British tennis player Jacob Fearnley pulled off a stunning victory at the US Open, overcoming both his own nerves and a disruptive heckler to defeat Spanish veteran Roberto Bautista Agut in a thrilling late-night match. The 24-year-old secured his first-ever main-draw win at Flushing Meadows with a 7-5, 6-2, 5-7, 6-4 victory, setting up a second-round clash with German third seed Alexander Zverev.
Fearnley admitted to struggling with his serve, racking up 18 double faults throughout the three-hour and 24-minute contest – the longest match of his career. “If you look at when the double faults were happening – serving for the match, serving to stay in the set – they came at the highest tension moments,” Fearnley explained. “Those ones are definitely down to nerves more than anything.”
Adding to the drama, Fearnley was also thrown off by a rambunctious fan behind the baseline who initially supported him before abruptly switching allegiance to Bautista Agut. “When I lost the service game at 5-4 in the third he completely turned – I couldn't believe it,” Fearnley said. “I wanted to say something. He switched quick. It wasn't abuse, just confusing and extremely loud. He didn't say a nice thing after that.”
Despite the challenges, Fearnley managed to maintain his composure and secure the win, becoming the only British man to do so on Tuesday, as Katie Boulter, Sonay Kartal, Francesca Jones, and Billy Harris all exited the tournament. Now, he faces a tough test against Zverev, who has defeated him twice already this year at the Australian Open and Miami Open.
Fearnley's impressive progress over the past year and a half continues to turn heads. Can he overcome Zverev and continue his US Open run?
Other British Hopes Dashed
While Fearnley celebrated, it was a day of disappointment for other British players at the US Open. Katie Boulter and Sonay Kartal suffered first-round exits. Qualifier Fran Jones and lucky loser Billy Harris also bowed out in straight sets on their US Open debuts.
Looking Ahead
- Fearnley faces Alexander Zverev in the second round.
- Jack Draper, Emma Raducanu, and Cameron Norrie are also through to the second round.