World ranking star Jacob Fearnley has accepted a position as the first Ambassador of the East of Scotland Tennis Association.
It is fitting recognition for a player whose journey began on the courts at Craiglockhart and Dalkeith Tennis Club while he also played at the Colinton club while attending the Merchiston Castle tennis academy prior to heading to Texas Christian University.
An Association spokesperson said: “Jacob’s story is one that embodies hard work, skill and perseverance.”
Now competing professionally and currently inside the top 100 ATP rankings in the world, he continues to make his mark on the international tennis stage. He recently represented Great Britain as part of the Davis Cup team in Norway and is lined up to play a Challenger event at St Brieuc in France next week before heading to the USA and featuring in major 132 draw tournaments at Indian Wells and Miami.
But before the world tournaments and international call-ups, Jacob’s tennis story started much closer to home at Dalkeith Tennis Club, — then progressing to County tennis for East of Scotland under-8 red ball team encouraged by his grandad, Bill, and mum, Samantha.
That moment sparked more than just a love for competition, it was his first real taste of being part of a team, learning not only how to play the game but how to support others, share success, and stay resilient.
Jacob said: “Competing for the county played an important role in my tennis career — both on and off the court. Those early county trips taught me some important life skills that reached far beyond tennis: independence, responsibility, and the joy of representing something bigger and experiencing UK wide competition. It laid the foundation for developing a more professional attitude and love of team competition that is still hugely important to me today.
“As I progressed through the county age levels, the matches grew tougher and the atmosphere more intense. The higher standards of play demanded much more focus, adaptability, and mental resilience — traits that now prove essential on the ATP Tour. I am really looking forward to doing what I can for East when I am up in Scotland and supporting in any way I can. I still hope that in years to come I will play again at Counties week which was always a highlight of the year.”
Referring to the fact Jacob has been as high as No 49 in world rankings, Viki Mendelsohn, chair of East of Scotland tennis added: “We are so thrilled to have Jacob as our first Ambassador of East of Scotland Tennis. He is a fantastic role model and we are all hugely proud of all he has achieved and the part that our performance programme had to play in his early tennis journey. We are very much looking forward to working with him and there will be more to come on some other initiatives Jacob has offered to help with.
“I have no doubt that highlighting Jacob’s Ambassadorship will inspire the next generation of East of Scotland players, showing where skill, hard work, sportsmanship, and team spirit can lead.”
