Moving to the US had long been on Fearnley’s radar, and studying at TCU – where fellow Britons Cameron Norrie and Alastair Gray were alumni – seemed a logical choice.
“I was always a bit physically underdeveloped and school was a big thing – my parents wanted me to have something to fall back on if tennis didn’t work,” Fearnley said.
“I also didn’t feel ready mentally to play tennis. I wanted five years to develop my game, develop as a person, socialise and meet new people.”
When Fearnley arrived at TCU, coaching staff at the ‘Frogs’ saw a shy 18-year-old initially held back on the court by self-doubt.
The nature of US college tennis – all noise, trash talking and team bonding – is not for the faint-hearted.
“College tennis is a very emotional form of tennis. There is a lot more energy from the players and other teams,” Devin Bowen, assistant coach of men’s tennis at TCU, told BBC Sport.
“It was a great environment for Jake because it tested him. It is a good opportunity to grow up, build character and find out who you are.
“It is exciting and a lot of fun. But it can also really be brutal.”
Fearnley always had “something special” but needed time to trust his ability, according to former ATP doubles player Bowen.
Eventually he did.
A five-year spell in Fort Worth brought a host of individual and team accolades, culminating in TCU’s first national men’s tennis title.
“His mind used to get super overly-dramatic,” Bowen said.
“Five minutes before the match he’d say ‘I can’t find the grip on my forehand. It’s all falling apart’.
“I’d say ‘you’ll settle in, your mind is playing tricks on you’.
“Now he has experience, and a little wisdom, to know it is what the mind does before big matches.”