Arthur Fery, the British men's number three, is carrying the hopes of the home crowd at Wimbledon after becoming the sole British player to reach the third round of the singles tournament. Fery, ranked world number 114, grew up near the All England Club and has described the experience of competing at the venue where he watched players as a child as "awesome."
Born near Paris to French parents, Fery's family relocated to Wimbledon when he was very young. He progressed through the Lawn Tennis Association system before attending Stanford University in California on a tennis scholarship, where he studied science, technology, and society. Now back in the UK, he is experiencing his most significant career success.
"I grew up coming to the tournament, watching the players and that definitely contributed to my development," Fery told BBC Sport. "I was trying to imitate players - like you did when you're a kid. Now I'm here winning matches. It's awesome."
Fery's mother, Olivia, is a former French Fed Cup player who previously worked for the LTA. His father, Loic, is an asset manager and the owner of the Ligue 1 football club Lorient. Despite spending summers at the family's second home in France and training at academies there, Fery represented France briefly as a child before switching to play for Britain. He emphasized that by the time he began training at the National Tennis Centre, his allegiance was clear. "By that point, there was really no decision to make. I was living here, I was training at the National Tennis Centre. I was in the system here," he stated. Reflecting on his identity, Fery added, "I feel completely British now. Maybe 10 years ago if you'd asked me the question, it would be a bit different. Now I feel very British at heart."