Jacob Fearnley secures Britain’s sole US Open day-three win

Jacob Fearnley secured a significant first-round victory at the US Open, becoming the last remaining British singles player after others, including Katie Boulter and Sonay Kartal, were eliminated. Despite struggling with his serve and committing 18 double faults mostly during high-pressure moments, Fearnley managed to defeat the experienced Spanish player Roberto Bautista Agut in a four-set match. The win marked Fearnley's first main-draw victory at the US Open and completed his achievement of winning main-draw matches at all four Grand Slam tournaments. Fearnley acknowledged that nerves affected his performance, especially on crucial serves, but emphasized the positive takeaway that he could still win despite these issues. He now faces a tough second-round match against third seed Alexander Zverev, who has beaten him twice earlier in the year. Fearnley's rapid rise from outside the top 500 players to the top 50, and his recent professional debut after college tennis, highlight his promising but still developing career.