Brit Fearnley stuns Kyrgios at Australian Open to bank £100,000 prize money
British tennis prospect Jacob Fearnley achieved the biggest prize money payout of his burgeoning career by beating Nick Kyrgios in the first round of the Australian Open on Monday.
Fearnley, 23, only turned professional last year after impressing on the US college circuit and quickly broke into the men’s top 100 after winning four titles on the second-tier Challenger Tour.
The Scot has carried on that form in 2025, upsetting former Wimbledon finalist Kyrgios, 29, in straight sets despite a boisterous home crowd at Melbourne Park.
Fearnley’s 7-6 (7-3) 6-3 7-6 (7-2) victory earned him a place in the second round of the Australian Open and guaranteed prize money of AUS$200,000, or £100,163.
That eclipses the sum he banked for clearing the first hurdle at Wimbledon last year, where he picked up £93,000 for beating fellow debutant Alejandro Moro Canas.
It means that the British No3, who is from Edinburgh, has already pocketed 45 per cent of his total earnings for last season, when he collected $269,000 (£222,000).
Who does Jacob Fearnley play next in Australia?
“All things considered I think it has to be the best match I’ve ever played,” said Fearnley, who will meet Frenchman Arthur Cazaux next.
Kyrgios was playing his first match at the Australian Open since 2022 after a catalogue of fitness problems and was a doubt to play at all due to an abdominal injury.
The former world No13 repeatedly grimaced as he clutched his stomach and twice needed treatment as Fearnley took the match away from him with a dominant display.
Elsewhere, British No1 Jack Draper survived a scare to beat Argentinian Mariano Navone 4-6 6-3 3-6 6-3 6-2 in four hours but former finalist Stefanos Tsitsipas suffered a shock defeat.
In the women’s draw, Britain’s Jodie Burrage earned a blockbuster match with third seed Coco Gauff by beating French qualifier Leolia Jeanjean 6-2 6-4.
Burrage, 25, sobbed after securing the win in her first match at a grand slam since a first-round defeat here last year, which preceded an injury-hit season that put her career in doubt.
“I knew the hard work that went in for the last year. All of those emotions from the last nine months I think were bottled up in there,” she said.
“Everything I did, all I was saying is, ‘I want to get to Australia, I know I’ll be good in Australia’. So I didn’t really want to let the opportunity go to waste today.”