Jacob Fearnley, from 646th in the world to the Australian Open in one year!

The Australian Open cut for the main draw was stopped at 98th in the world, due to players using their protected ranking to enter.

Jacob Fearnley, ranked 99th in the world, found himself one place away from a direct entry into the draw.

But luck intervened for the Briton, who benefited from Sebastian Ofner's withdrawal on Saturday to secure his place in the main draw in Melbourne.

A real feat for the 23-year-old, who has gained the most places in the ATP rankings this year.

He first came to public attention this season at Wimbledon, losing to Novak Djokovic in the 2nd round. Then, in September, he won back-to-back Challengers tournaments in Rennes and Orléans.

In all, Fearnley has won four titles on the secondary circuit this season.

In 2024, he climbed 547 places in the rankings, enabling him to take part in the Australian Open for the first time in his career.