Tennis news: Jack Pinnington Jones – the British star looking to follow in Jacob Fearnley’s footsteps
Glancing at the current ATP rankings makes it plain that Britain has a preponderance of players (12) between positions No.50 and No.250 – something largely absent from those rankings a year ago, when just half that number were GB athletes.
The man now at world No.138 is very much a part of that strength in depth and could not be found this time last year even if one scanned as low as No.350.
His name is Jack Pinnington Jones.
Here, Sports News Blitz’s tennis writer AJ Becker takes a look at the latest rising star.
Dallas delight
Hardcore tennis fans may have noticed the 22-year-old’s search for tour success finding more than a few answers in Dallas last week.
Not content with wins over Brazil’s Dutra da Silva and Patrick Kypson of the USA in qualifying, the British No.5 then posted impressive victories against top-20 player Flavio Cobolli and in-form top-75 man Eliot Spizzirri to reach the quarter-finals.
Whilst his participation was ended there by Marin Čilić – a wily veteran who is rolling back the years with some quality tennis in the twilight of his career – Pinnington Jones should reflect positively on a hugely encouraging week in familiar surroundings, not to mention the 100 rankings points accrued.
University days
Why were those surroundings so familiar?
He played his college tennis at Texas Christian University, based 32 miles away in Fort Worth, as did Cameron Norrie and Jacob Fearnley – now Britain’s No.2 and No.3, respectively.
TCU has long been known as a finishing school of some renown, with each skill taught to the bone for maximum impact and every lesson carrying enormous meaning.
The experience for all three has paid greater career dividends than they themselves likely would have expected.
Indeed, the quality of tennis tuition at the Texas institution has only been emphasised by the subsequent success of all three after stepping outside that environment.
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Nottingham springboard
It was Fearnley who – perhaps unwittingly – mapped out a future pathway for Pinnington Jones.
After his surprise run to the Nottingham Challenger title as a qualifier in June 2024, the Scot made the most of his resulting Wimbledon wild card and, whilst still an unknown quantity to many, conquered three further Challenger trophies to enter the top 100.
Fearnley has since delivered, albeit incrementally, on that promise.
Pinnington Jones is arguably now navigating that same nexus point where Challenger success can be a springboard towards real tour-level impact.
The similarities became yet more striking as Pinnington Jones took the Nottingham crown last summer, then further distinguished himself by blasting his way to a Challenger title in the USA two months later – as had his former TCU team-mate.
The 22-year-old decided to pull the plug on his studies early, bringing those merits in match points and distinctions in drop shots to an end.
After signing with Andy Murray’s management company, 77 Sports Management, his first months as a pro saw an alchemical conversion of raw talent into solid achievements.
There were Challenger finals on grass both before and after Wimbledon, interspersed by a fabulous victory over world No.53 Tomás Martín Etcheverry at SW19.
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Playing style
Admittedly, Brits such as Liam Broady and Ryan Penistone offer a warning of how quickly that sort of success can be followed by stagnation.
Nonetheless, having leapt from No.339 to No.196 in the relatively fugacious grass season and now sitting at No.138, it is entirely logical to expect Pinnington Jones to breach the top 100 before Wimbledon 2026.
Further tour quarter-final placings (or better) are also attainable this year.
Pinnington Jones paints his tennis in exquisite strokes, flexing his first-serve power to fine effect and displaying a heavy forehand that is frequently point-winning.
The Surrey native also has a solid mastery of net play and – as is the modern way – can display mental resilience in longer rallies.
Wild card
If Wimbledon wild cards have in some years amounted to little more than an indulgent novelty, the fact that Pinnington Jones was one of 10 home players to reach round two last year – across both singles draws – as well as one of three to claim their debut Challenger later in the year (as did Arthur Fery and George Loffhagen) indicates the strength in depth of British men’s tennis.
It is also worth noting that Toby Samuel – deemed undeserving of even a qualifying wild card at SW19 – won back-to-back Challenger tournaments at the end of last year to complete a staggering rankings jump of over 1000 places in six months.
Those Brits are taking fate in their hands and shaping it to gather serious momentum early in 2026.
It will be fascinating to see if, and how quickly, they can turn their respective surges into a genuine breakthrough season on the tour.
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