Who is Novak Djokovic's Wimbledon 2024 2R opponent Jacob Fearnley? All you need to know about the NCAA star who helped lead TCU to glory

24-time Major champion Novak Djokovic will face rising British star Jacob Fearnley in the second round of the 2024 Wimbledon on Thursday (July 4). The Serb kicked off his quest for a historic 25th Major crown with a 6-1, 6-2, 6-2 win over qualifier Vit Kopriva.

As for Fearnley, he received a main draw wildcard into Wimbledon, and beat Alejandro Moro Canas 7-5, 6-4, 7-6 (12) in his opener. He made a winning debut at the Major as a result, and will now face the tough task of going toe-to-toe with the sport's greatest player in the next round.

However, before Fearnley's takes to the court for the biggest match of his career so far, here's a quick look into the talented youngster's background:

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Who is Jacob Fearnley?

Jacob Fearnley was born on July 15, 2001 in Edinburgh, Scotland. He reached a career-high ranking of No. 27 as a junior on the ITF circuit. He headed to the United States in 2019 where he studied at Texas Christian University (TCU), and played college tennis. He enjoyed considerable success over his five-year stint at the NCAA level.

In his final year of playing college tennis, Fearnley was instrumental in TCU's first-ever NCAA triumph earlier this year. They defeated their crosstown rivals Texas 4-3 to claim their first Division I title in men's tennis.

During his tenure as a TCU player, Fearnley was named the ITA All-American on four occasions. He finished his singles career with a 85-32 record, and had a 70-30 record in doubles. After capping off his collegiate career on a high, the Brit turned his attention to the ATP Tour.

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Jacob Fearnley made his ATP Tour debut at the Rothesay International in Eastbourne

Jacob Fearnley at the 2024 Wimbledon. (Photo: Getty)

Fearnley claimed his maiden Challenger title in singles at the Rothesay Open in Nottingham in June. He staged a comeback from a set down in the final to beat his compatriot Charles Broom 4-6, 6-4, 6-3.

Fearnley was awarded a wildcard into the Rothesay International, an ATP 250 tournament, for his recent efforts. He lost in the first round to Billy Harris in his debut on the ATP Tour. Nevertheless, he was given a wildcard to participate in Wimbledon as well, and ended up making a winning debut.

Fearnley is the underdog against Djokovic given their accomplishments. The last British man to defeat the 24-time Major champion was Dan Evans at the 2021 Monte-Carlo Masters.

Andy Murray was the last player from the host nation to beat the Serb at Wimbledon, which he did in the 2013 final. Fearnley will be eager to put up a good performance in front of the home crowd despite the odds being against him.