Arthur Fery reached the Wimbledon semi-finals on July 8, 2026, after a decisive victory over Fabio Cobolli. The 23-year-old British player defeated the ninth seed, who was also the French Open finalist, in straight sets to advance.
Fery's performance marked a significant achievement, making him only the second wildcard in the tournament's history to reach the semi-finals. Goran Ivanisevic, the 2001 Wimbledon champion, is the only other player to have accomplished this feat as a wildcard.
Queen Camilla was present at the All England Club to witness Fery's quarter-final win. According to Fery, the Queen approached him before his match to offer good luck and also met with him after his victory.
"She had some really kind words to me at the end, as well," Fery stated. "Playing in front of tennis legends and now the Queen, it's special."
He described the encounter, saying, "She was waiting for me at the end of the match. She congratulated me. I told her how much of an honour it was for me to play in front of her. She just said: ‘Congratulations, keep going.’"
Fery also mentioned his upcoming birthday, noting that he expressed his wish to play the Wimbledon final on his 24th birthday, which falls on the Sunday of the tournament's final weekend.
Fery is scheduled to play against French Open champion Alexander Zverev in the semi-final. Should he win this match, he would have the opportunity to compete for the Wimbledon trophy on his birthday.