Wildcard entrant Arthur Fery has secured a place in the Wimbledon quarter-finals, becoming the last British singles player remaining in the tournament. The 23-year-old's unexpected progress to this stage marks a significant achievement, particularly as he grew up in close proximity to the All England Club.
Fery's journey to the quarter-finals includes consecutive comeback victories. His most recent win was a five-set triumph on Centre Court against former world No. 3 Grigor Dimitrov. Despite experiencing nosebleeds during the match, Fery persevered, drawing energy from the home crowd's support.
"I was really close to losing my last round as well, again today a break down in the fourth," Fery said after his victory over Dimitrov. "I was just trying to keep fighting, having a good attitude, committing to what I'm trying to do - playing really well with my back against the wall, paid off."
He acknowledged the significance of the moment, stating, "I couldn't have imagined it a week ago. I would've been happy to win a few matches here. Now winning four matches and being in the quarters, it's a dream of mine."
Fery's next opponent in the quarter-finals is the ninth seed Flavio Cobolli. Fery has a prior win against Cobolli this year, having defeated him at the Australian Open.
Born in Sèvres, a suburb near Paris, Fery is one of three children of Olivia and Loïc Féry. His mother, Olivia, competed as a tennis player, qualifying for the 1991 French Open as a wildcard. Her highest singles ranking was 225, while Arthur's current ranking has reached a career-high of 114 following his Wimbledon success.
Despite his French birthplace, Fery was raised in London and attended King's College School in Wimbledon. His father, Loïc Féry, is a hedge fund manager who previously owned the French football club Lorient. His parents divorced in 2022.
Fery's path to professional tennis included a scholarship to Stanford University in California, where he studied science, technology, and society. His mother, a member of the All England Club, often played with him on its courts during his childhood. He has spoken about his mother's influence, noting, "I was never really pushed to play tennis, but we lived close to a tennis club, and my mum was a professional player - she was very good - so that encouraged me to try out tennis."
His professional career has seen him represent Great Britain in the Davis Cup and reach the second round of the Australian Open earlier this year. His wildcard entry into Wimbledon, without qualifying through the traditional routes, has led to him becoming only the fifth wildcard to reach the quarter-finals in the tournament's history. The only wildcard to win the title was Goran Ivanisevic in 2001.
Notable figures were present in the stands to watch Fery's matches, including the Princess of Wales and eight-time Wimbledon champion Roger Federer. Fery described the experience of playing with Federer watching as "incredible."
Fery's siblings are also pursuing professional paths. His sister, Albane, works in product management for Christian Dior, and his brother, Maxime, is a student at Imperial College London and is currently working at Wimbledon as a runner.