The 23-year-old Briton had no ranking in the world of professional tennis just over a year ago.
He was still enrolled in an American university six months ago.
Fearnley reached the top 100 in the world this week on the ATP Tour, which is a noteworthy achievement that carries the promise of direct entry into the elite Grand Slam competitions.
“Obviously, it is not what I expected,” the Scot stated after climbing to a new high position of 98th on Thursday.
“It has arrived a little bit sooner than I, as well as most likely everyone else in my immediate vicinity, anticipated. I know that this is not typical.
Without a doubt, this is an incredible rise.
ATP data show that Fearnley’s rise to 98th in the world, up from 646th at the beginning of the year, is the fourth largest move into the top 100 since 2000.
His degree in kinesiology—the study of human movement—came from Texas Christian University (TCU) earlier this year.
This was the turning point in Fearnley’s rise.
A university education eliminated self-doubt.
Fearnley had long considered moving to the United States, and attending TCU, where fellow Britons Cameron Norrie and Alastair Gray were alumni, seemed like a sensible move.
