"There was a bit less pressure" - British star Jacob Fearnley on the difference when facing Novak Djokovic and Alexander Zverev

Despite being relatively new to the ATP scene, rising tennis star Jacob Fearnley has faced two of the toughest players in the game in both Novak Djokovic and Alexander Zverev. The Brit chimed in on which player was more challenging to face, after facing Zverev at the 2025 Australian Open.

Fearnley defeated Aussie star Nick Kyrgios in his opening round match, before taking out Frenchman Arthur Cazaux in the second. However, his quest to reach his first round of 16 at a Grand Slam ended when he took on Zverev in the third round, with the German recording a 6-3 6-4 6-4 victory.

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There was no real difference in either man's level of play, says Fearnley

During his post-match conference after his loss to Zverev, Fearnley was asked to compare his experience when playing against Zverev and Djokovic. The British star had faced the former World No.1 at last year's Wimbledon Championships, with Djokovic prevailing in four sets.

"Obviously when I was playing [Novak] Djokovic, I think I was around 250 in the world, so there was a bit less pressure, I felt, on my end,” said Fearnley. “But I don’t think the level was any different from Djokovic or Zverev. I think they’re both playing exceptional, they gave me rhythm, and they both let me rally.
"I think Zverev’s serve is a little bit better than Novak’s was just because he is a bit taller. Obviously it’s Novak Djokovic and Alex Zverev, they’re both incredible tennis players. Yeah, both equally as challenging, I would say.”

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