19 Feb East of Scotland Tennis welcomes its first Ambassador – Jacob Fearnley

East of Scotland Tennis is proud to announce Jacob Fearnley as our very first Ambassador — a fitting recognition for a player whose journey began in East, on the courts of Craiglockhart and Dalkeith Tennis Club.

Jacob’s story is one that embodies hard work, skill and perseverance. Now competing professionally and currently inside the top 100 ATP rankings in the world, as he continues to make his mark on the international tennis stage. He recently represented Great Britain as part of the Davis Cup team in Norway – one of tennis’s most exciting and popular team events.

But before the world tournaments and international call-ups, Jacob’s tennis story started much closer to home at Dalkeith Tennis Club, — then progressing to County tennis for East of Scotland U8 red ball team. That moment sparked more than just a love for competition,  it was his first real taste of being part of a team, learning not only how to play the game but how to support others, share success, and stay resilient.

Jacob said “Competing for the county played an important role in my tennis career — both on and off the court. Those early county trips taught me some important life skills that reached far beyond tennis: independence, responsibility, and the joy of representing something bigger and experiencing  UK wide competition. It laid the foundation for developing a more professional attitude and love of team competition that is still hugely important to me today.”

“As I progressed through the county age levels, the matches grew tougher and the atmosphere more intense. The higher standards of play demanded much more focus, adaptability, and mental resilience — traits that now prove essential on the ATP Tour. I am really looking forward to doing what I can for East when I am up in Scotland and supporting in any way I can. I still hope that in years to come I will play again at Counties week which was always a highlight of the year.”

Chair of East of Scotland, Viki Mendelssohn said “We are so thrilled to have Jacob as our first Ambassador of East of Scotland Tennis. He is a fantastic role model and we are all hugely proud of all he has achieved and the part that our performance programme had to play in his early tennis journey. We are very much looking forward to working with him and there will be more to come on some other initiatives Jacob has offered to help with.

“I have no doubt that highlighting Jacob’s Ambassadorship will inspire the next generation of East of Scotland players, showing where skill, hard work, sportsmanship, and team spirit can lead.”