Australian Open 2025: Jacob Fearnley bracing for 'hostile' crowd in Nick Kyrgios opener - 'Not a match you want to see'
By Flo Clifford
Updated 11/01/2025 at 10:40 GMT
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British rising star Jacob Fearnley has said he is no stranger to "pretty hostile environments" after his experience playing college tennis in the United States, but he will need all of that experience against Australian Nick Kyrgios on his home turf at Melbourne Park. The Brit has enjoyed a meteoric rise into the ATP top 100, and will take to the court on Monday for the highly-anticipated clash.
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Britain's Jacob Fearnley said his upcoming Australian Open clash with home favourite Nick Kyrgios is "not a match you want to see in Australia".
The pair have been drawn in the first round, with Kyrgios making his return to Melbourne Park for the first time in three years after repeated injury problems.
The Australian Open - which will be available to watch live on Eurosport and discovery+ - can often be a rowdy environment, especially when Kyrgios is playing, as he draws large crowds and tends to entertain those in attendance.
"It’s not a match you want to see in Australia," Fearnley said. "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."
The 23-year-old is ranked 86th in the world after a meteoric rise through the rankings. He only turned professional last spring, having previously played college tennis in the United States, and immediately won his first tournament - on the grass at Nottingham.
He suggested he would draw on his experience as a college player to deal with the atmosphere on John Cain Arena on Monday.
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"I’ve been to some pretty hostile environments," he added. "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.
"I actually deleted Instagram. I was getting a lot of messages. I wanted to try and stay as centred as possible."
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Regardless of the nerves ahead of playing Kyrgios, Fearnley also said he had a lot of respect for his opponent, who tends to polarise opinion.
"I’m a huge fan," he said. "I’ve always said to my friends that I’m a big fan. There’s some people out there that don’t agree with the stuff he does. But I think it’s great for the sport. He increases viewership. He puts people in seats."
Watch the 2025 Australian Open live on Eurosport and discovery+
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