Jacob Fearnley wants to surprise Novak Djokovic at Wimbledon 2024

A week before his 12th birthday, Jacob Fearnley sat on the sofa in his Edinburgh home, engrossed in television coverage of the 2013 Wimbledon final.

The aspiring tennis player watched Scottish hero Andy Murray end Britain’s 77-year wait for a men’s singles champion – a huge moment of national sporting significance.

“I was glued to the couch. I wasn’t moving,” Fearnley recalls.

Now, 11 years later, Fearnley is preparing to step onto Centre Court like Murray did and face the same opponent: Novak Djokovic.

Fearnley, 22, was ranked outside the world’s top 500 just over a month ago.

But his stunning form saw him secure a perfect draw against 24-time major champion Djokovic in the second round of Wimbledon on Thursday.

“I’ve seen him on TV countless times. What he’s done for the game, the way he plays and what he’s managed to achieve is remarkable,” said Fearnley, who is now ranked 277th.

“It will be intimidating but also a bit weird to see him online. He is definitely one of my idols.

“If I can play at half his level, I’ll be happy.”

Six weeks ago, Fearnley left Texas Christian University (TCU) in the United States with a degree in kinesiology – the study of human movement.

He now devotes all his energy to his full-time tennis career.

“I always wanted to go to the States. I was always a bit underdeveloped physically and school was a big priority. My parents wanted me to have something to fall back on if tennis didn’t work out,” Fearnley explains.

“I didn’t feel mentally ready to play tennis either.

“I wanted five years to develop my game, grow as a person, socialize and meet new people.

“I’m really happy I made this decision because it really helped my tennis and me as a person.”

After leaving college with team success for TCU at the NCAA National Championships, he returned home for the British grass court season and had the best results of his career on the professional circuit.

Fearnley won the Nottingham Open last month to claim his first title on the second ATP Challenger Tour.

And then he was rewarded with a wild card into the main draw at the All England Club.

He was back on his father Craig’s sofa when Leon Smith, the director of British men’s tennis, called to tell him the good news.

“My dad didn’t believe me at first. It was a really cool moment,” Fearnley said.

Things have gotten even more incredible since then.

Fearnley said he “froze” watching Friday’s draw when he realised he was one of three names left who could face Djokovic in the first round.

Instead, he was picked to face Spanish qualifier Alejandro Moro Canas.

Czech qualifier Vit Kopriva was then due to face Djokovic – but knowing he could potentially face one of the sport’s all-time greats was a source of motivation for Fearnley.

After beating Moro Canas, the British number 13 admitted to sneaking glances at the score during Djokovic’s match.

“Playing Djokovic in the second round, after having had a round to relax, gives me a little more confidence and less nervousness,” he said.

“How can I beat him? I don’t think many people have the answer to that question! I have no idea.

“There doesn’t seem to be a lot of flaws in his game. I’m just going to try to take advantage of it, play on the field and see what happens.”