Edinburgh’s Jacob Fearnley has been practising with serial grand slam winner Novak Djokovik as he attempts to take his tennis career up a level.
The 24-year-old Scot, currently world No 78, earned the respect of Djokovic when the pair met at Wimbledon last year and it seems a relationship has been maintained judging by a photograph published on Jacob’s Instagram page today.
It shows the pair on court ih a stadium believed to be the venue for next week’s inaugural Hellenic Open in Athens which has replaced Belgrade on the ATP circuit.
The arena usually hosts basketball but it has also been used for a European song contest.
Djokovic recently moved his family from Serbia to Greece which is now his base.
And while Djokovic is expected to be top seed in his adopted city Fearnley has not yet been confirmed as an entrant. However, that now seems likely with the practice session picture today signed “thanks for the practice @djokernole” a strong hint.
The session could not have come at a better time for Jacob who was plagued by double faults as he exited the Paris Masters this week at the hands of Andrey Rublev who hadn’t won a competitive match since the US Open in August.
If Djokovic can help his young practice partner cure his serving ailment that could put him back on the road to the upper reaches of the game having demonstrated against world No 3 Alex Zverev this month he has the game to trouble the stars.
Following their meeting at Wimbledon last year, Djokovic called Fearnley “a very, strong composed player” who “handled the occasion really well.”
He said Fearnley “played with really courage,served well and didn’t look overwhelmed by the Centre Court moment.
“He made he work really hard. Honestly, it could have gone to a fifth set. I was lucky in the fourth set – I think he deserved at least that.”
