Fearnley won the Nottingham Challenger Tour event earlier this year, in just his second main draw appearance at the level.

Shortly after, he made his ATP Tour debut at Eastbourne, where he lost to fellow British wildcard Billy Harris in straight sets.

It was a trip to Wimbledon up next for the 23-year-old, who took down Alejandro Moro Canas in the first round to set up a mouth-watering contest with one of the sport’s greatest-ever players.

Jacob Fearnley says Novak Djokovic’s serve was a ‘joke’ in their 2024 Wimbledon clash

Fearnley’s second-round opponent at SW19 was none other than 24-time Major champion Novak Djokovic.

The British number three remarkably took a set off the Serb in a four-set defeat, and has now revealed what Djokovic did in their match that was a ‘joke’.

“One thing which surprised me was his first serve,” said Fearnley.

“His first serve percentage and his first serve spots are not talked about ever. 

“His groundstrokes and his movement are talked about but I feel like his first serve isn’t talked about a lot and his first serve is a joke.”

Fearnley now admits that the world number seven was a step ahead of him tactically.

“Placement, pace, the way he problem solves, it’s a joke,” he said.

“If I sit back on second serve return he will then just roll one short so I am hitting it at my feet but if I step in he would rocket one right at my body.

“He was doing that all the time.

“If say I am chipping a return, the next point he was wide serve and volley, easy put-away, or if he is going wide and I cheat over, it was like bang [down the] t.

“The adjustments he makes are constant, he is always looking for solutions.”

Fearnley lost the match 6-3, 6-4, 5-7, 7-5, but won over the British crowd, as they saw one of their own impress against a legend of the game.

Following his impressive Wimbledon showing, Fearnley won a further three Challenger Tour events in 2024, as he took home titles in Lincoln, Rennes, and Orleans.

Results that saw the Brit reach a career-high ranking of 89th in the world.

How good is Novak Djokovic’s serve compared to Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner, and Alexander Zverev?

Fearnley certainly believes that the Serb’s serve is underrated, but how does it compare to the best on the ATP Tour?

Jannik Sinner, Alexander Zverev, and Carlos Alcaraz currently occupy the top three spots in the ATP rankings and have all impressed with their serve at times in 2024.

German world number two Zverev tops the pile with his serving prowess, perhaps unsurprising as he stands at just under 6ft 5.

However, Sinner slots in at second for most metrics, outperforming Djokovic in % first serve points won, % service games won, and average aces per match.

Sinner won the Australian Open, and US Open in 2024, with his consistent serve no doubt a huge help in his Major victories.

The man with whom he shared the four Grand Slams this year, Alcaraz, has the weakest serve of the four and is outperformed by Sinner, Zverev, and Djokovic in all four metrics.

It’s fair to say that Djokovic’s serve is an underrated weapon in his arsenal, just as Fearnley mentioned, but it might not quite be on the level of the top two players on the ATP Tour right now.

Djokovic will return to action at the Brisbane International which begins on December 30.

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