The rise of Jack Pinnington Jones: ‘Coolness is not part of his DNA’ | ATP Tour

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The rise of Jack Pinnington Jones: ‘Coolness wasn’t part of his DNA’

Exclusive Insights on Pinnington Jones and His College Coach

February 12, 2026

Former Texas Christian University college tennis star Jack Pinnington-Jones lost to Giles Arnold Bailey in the first round of qualifying for this year’s Australian Open. The next night, the Brit embarked on a solo 32-hour journey to Egypt to compete in an ATP Challenger Tour event.

“I remember when I arrived in Egypt, I thought, ‘Oh, I’m going to be miserable for the next few days’. I woke up in the night, jet-lagged and not knowing where I was,” Pinnington-Jones told ATPTour.com. “It’s just a new experience compared to my first experience in Australia [for a] To win a Grand Slam challenger in Egypt, I didn’t know anybody, it was kind of like, ‘You’re still 200 years old in the world. It’s all a journey. “

Pinnington Jones, ranked 197th in the PIF ATP rankings at the time, had different ideas. Brits haven’t been home since Thanksgiving, which means being on the road for two and a half months straight. Maybe this won’t be his big week.

Instead, Pinnington Jones reached the final at Soma Bay and rose to No. 153 in the world after qualifying for the Nexo Dallas Open and beating Flavio Coboli in the main draw.

“I wasn’t in good shape towards the end, but I made it to the finals. I made the best of traveling and tough situations like that,” Pinnington-Jones said. “My team was great and they rallied around me and said, ‘No, you have to play every game, keep going, keep going, you never know what’s going to happen.

“I feel like that’s the mentality I try to keep every week.”

It’s been a learning experience for Pinnington Jones, who a year ago this time began his final spring season at TCU, where he competed for three years and earned All-American singles honors twice. The Brit, a former junior world No. 6, follows in the footsteps of top-100 players Cameron Norrie and Jacob Fearnley, who also play for the Horned Frogs.

“It’s a big change. Obviously, it’s a big shock being away from home for that long for the first time,” Pinnington-Jones said. “Having other UK players on the team like Jake Fearnley, Lui Maxted – who I’ve known since I was a kid – helped me a lot. The coaching and the culture at TCU were great. I felt very welcome and settled in a bit after the first few weeks.”

Pinnington Jones, who plays under head coach David Roditi, explained that his former star player was “a great character” in their squad.

“He brings a lot of competitive spirit and an eagerness that makes everybody push further or compete harder or come to practice every day,” Roditi said. “I think that helps our team a lot. That’s who Jack is. Everybody knows, at the end of the day, winning is the main purpose. That’s the personality he has on the team.”

Pinnington Jones is the first to admit he’s enjoying himself off the field too. “He was trying to be a superhero: win on the court and then win at night. I think eventually he realized he couldn’t have it both ways,” Roditi said.

“He’s a big personality, he’s very social and he’s very playful. He loves to play, so he gets bored easily, and maybe staying in a dorm or an apartment and relaxing is just not part of his DNA.”

Pinnington Jones has stepped into a new world since deciding to forgo his senior season at TCU. Instead of competing in different doubles matches or tournaments with the team, he climbed the ATP Tour ladder.

“I played preseason in Florida, Thanksgiving in Texas, then I went to Hawaii, Australia, Doha, Egypt, London [and now] Dallas. I’ve basically come full circle,” said Pinnington-Jones. “I have a great team around me and I’m really grateful that I have the support from the Land Transport Authority and I rely on them to help guide me on how to manage stress, travel and things that are completely new to me and lean on them when I can. This is the most important thing.

“I would say [it has been about] Travel, jet lag, and just trying to control what I can control: go out, compete, practice as hard as I can, and just try to improve. “

Last year, Pinnington Jones moved up more than 200 spots in the PIF ATP live rankings. Due to his success in college, he qualified multiple times for the Next Generation Accelerator, which allows qualifiers to compete directly in ATP Challenger Tour events.

“It’s awesome. You look at the guys I went through in college: Jake Fearnley, Eliot Spizzirri, Ethan Quinn, just to name a few. Diallo and Shelton were right before me, but all those guys. It just gave them the upper hand,” Pinnington-Jones said. “Their level is there, but they may not be ranked. When they play on a great college team’s roster, the level is really high.

“I remember thinking throughout the season, ‘I’ve got to keep playing well, I’ve got to make sure I win these wild cards,’ because I know that’s a huge boost when you’re starting your career.”

Before arriving in Dallas, Pinnington Jones spent a week at TCU with his former coaches and teammates, some of whom have been supporting him at the ATP 500 event.

“I spent three years at TCU. Fort Worth and Texas State feel like my second home in a way. I met a lot of great people in college and a lot of them came out to be supportive,” Pinnington-Jones said. “It really feels like a home game, especially with the way I’m playing right now, it’s really special.”