A move to America had long been on Fearnley’s radar, and studying at TCU – where fellow Brits Cameron Norrie and Alastair Gray are alumni – seemed a logical choice.
“I was always a bit underdeveloped physically and school was a big thing – my parents wanted me to have something to fall back on if tennis didn’t work out,” Fearnley said.
“I wasn’t mentally ready to play tennis either. I wanted five years to develop my game, grow as a person, socialize and meet new people.”
When Fearnley arrived at TCU, the ‘Frogs’ coaching staff noticed that the shy 18-year-old initially held back on the court due to self-doubt.
The nature of US college tennis — all noise, trash talk and team bonding — is not for the faint of heart.
“College tennis is a very emotional form of tennis. There’s a lot of energy from the players and the other teams,” Devin Bowen, assistant men’s tennis coach at TCU, told BBC Sport.
“It was a great environment for Jack because he tried it out. It’s a great opportunity to grow up, build character and find out who you are.
“It’s exciting and a lot of fun. But it can also be really brutal.”
According to Bowen, a former ATP doubles player, Fearnley always had “something special” but needed time to trust his ability.
Eventually he did just that.
A five-year spell in Fort Worth brought individual and team accolades, culminating in TCU’s first national men’s tennis title.
“His mind used to get very dramatic,” Bowen said.
“Five minutes before the match he’ll say: ‘I can’t get a grip on my forehead, it’s all falling apart.’
“I’d say: ‘You’ll settle down, your mind is playing tricks on you.’
“Now he has the experience, and a bit of wisdom, to know what the mind does before big matches.”