Australian Open 2025: Jacob Fearnley loses to Alexander Zverev in Melbourne

British player Jacob Fearnley's impressive run at the Australian Open came to an end in the third round, as he lost to German second seed Alexander Zverev. The 23-year-old Briton, in his first overseas Grand Slam appearance, fell in straight sets 3-6, 4-6, 4-6 in Melbourne.

Fearnley, currently ranked 92nd in the world, earned direct entry to the first Grand Slam of the season thanks to his rapid rise in 2024. He defeated an injured Nick Kyrgios in the first round, winning in a noisy atmosphere, and then overcame Frenchman Arthur Cazaux to set up the clash with Zverev.

While Fearnley performed well for much of the match, Zverev's consistency proved too much, allowing him to advance to the fourth round. "Jacob is an incredible player, he's gone through the stages – college, futures, challengers – and now he's playing on the big stage," said Zverev. "I have a lot of respect for him. He's going to get much better in the next few years."

Fearnley's loss leaves his childhood rival Jack Draper as the only remaining British player in the men’s singles draw. Draper, the 15th seed, is scheduled to play Australian player Aleksandar Vukic around 9 pm local time (10 am GMT) on Friday. Twelve months ago, Fearnley was still in college in the USA, playing on the third-tier ITF circuit, celebrating winning an M25 title in Luxembourg.

Now, Fearnley has climbed into the world’s top 100 with one of the fastest rises on the ATP tour, standing toe-to-toe with the very best. Had he caused an upset, Fearnley would have become only the seventh man to reach the last 16 on his debut in Melbourne. Zverev is one of the best servers in the game, and it was not unexpected that Fearnley, although a sharp returner, was unable to make inroads into his service games.

There was very little between the two players in the first set, with Fearnley’s dropped service game in the sixth proving decisive. A worrying sign was that Fearnley appeared to be hobbling slightly between points at the end of the first set, looking as if he had a problem with his lower back. After Zverev took the lead, Fearnley left the court for a medical timeout, returning looking more comfortable.

He failed to capitalize on two break points in the second set and looked to pay the price as Zverev broke to go 4-2 up. Keeping his composure is one of the Scot’s biggest strengths, and he hit straight back with an aggressive return game. However, he was immediately broken again, and Zverev served out the second set confidently to take a two-set lead.

In the third set, those lapses in concentration on his own service games also proved costly. Although he broke Zverev for a second time to level at 2-2, Fearnley could not maintain his level or focus, and was broken in the very next game, with Zverev's lead never again looking in doubt.