Arthur Fery: Britain’s Wimbledon Wildcard Making Historic Run
At 23 years old, Arthur Fery has rapidly emerged as a prominent figure in British tennis, maintaining composure as he prepares to face Italy’s Flavio Cobolli on Wednesday.
Just a week prior, Fery was relatively unknown in the tennis world. However, following a challenging start for British players at Wimbledon, he has become the last British man remaining in the singles competition.
Ranked No 114 globally, Fery surpassed expectations on Monday night by defeating Grigor Dimitrov, a former world No 3 and a top player for much of the past decade.
“I was feeling an unbelievable amount of emotion,”Fery said in a post-match interview.
He is the first wildcard entrant—players ranked too low for automatic entry—to reach the Wimbledon singles quarter-final and only the fifth British man to do so this century.
Fery’s former coaches have expressed that his success was well deserved. Paul Goldstein, who coached him at Stanford University, described Fery’s performance as a “magical run” that was “so well earned.”
“Adjectives that come to mind are: poised, composed. If you saw what he did yesterday – the first time ever on Centre Court, playing in front of tens of thousands, many millions more watching on TV, being the last British male player standing in this event going on several days and the responsibility that comes with that – we use superlatives like extraordinary and exceptional often, but it’s so appropriate for what he did,”Goldstein said.
Goldstein was traveling to London on Tuesday night, hoping to secure a ticket to watch Fery’s quarter-final match against Cobolli. Their connection began when Fery, still a teenager, reached out to Goldstein seeking a way to continue both his studies and tennis at a high level.
Goldstein noted that Fery’s calmness under pressure is a natural trait, complemented by the intensity cultivated through collegiate tennis, which involves representing a team and university. He described Fery as “very committed, innovative, an independent thinker.”
Alison Taylor, who provided private and group coaching to Fery from age four through his teens, highlighted his athleticism, footwork, and hand-eye coordination from a young age. However, she noted he was not the top player in his age group.
“He’s a real performer,”she said, emphasizing his enjoyment of playing in front of audiences and showcasing his skills.
“He thrived on that, showing people that he was a good player.”
Taylor described Fery as a “dream to coach” due to his well-rounded abilities, maturity, humility, and kindness.
She also echoed Goldstein’s view of Fery’s creativity on court, stating,
“He’s always wanted to not just be a baseliner – he’s a creative tennis player and has a lot of variety to his game.”
She added,
“It’s all been a shock even to him how far he’s come – but with his confidence he can cause these top players a lot of damage … He is fearless, you didn’t see him crack under the pressure. The sky’s the limit.”
Several former tennis stars have noted that confidence has become a defining characteristic of Fery’s game. Greg Rusedski, former British No 1 who has practiced with Fery, remarked,
“The hard part for any tennis player is between the ears. And he has that sort of swagger and belief. That gets you a long way in this sport.”
Born near Paris, Fery moved to England at age two and grew up in Wimbledon, just ten minutes from the All England Club. He attended King’s College School, a local private institution.
Despite his French heritage, Fery has chosen to represent the UK. His mother, Olivia, was a professional tennis player, and his father, Loïc, is a businessman who was ranked as France’s 389th richest person in 2023.
Fery began playing tennis at age five and progressed through the Lawn Tennis Association’s junior system before pausing to study science, technology, and society at Stanford University in California. He described this as a “great kind of backup plan if tennis didn’t work out.”
In his second year, Fery became the first No 1 ranked singles player in the United States to attend Stanford since Bob Bryan, a future doubles Olympic champion.
Bryan commented that Fery was well respected and a “quiet leader” at Stanford. He also expressed being “very impressed” by Fery’s play at the university, comparing his build and style to Japanese player Kei Nishikori.
Jamie Murray, former doubles world No 1 and brother of British No 1 Andy Murray, stated,
“a lot of people within British tennis had a lot of belief in him and what he could do.”
Fery’s height has been a topic of discussion. Standing at 5’9”, he is average height for UK males but shorter than many professional tennis players by four to five inches.
Former women’s No 1 Johanna Konta said,
“Obviously he’s a short king. So he doesn’t have the height advantage, but my goodness he makes up for it with how explosive he is. I think that backhand is incredible, and again his fighting spirit.”
At Wimbledon, Fery has appreciated the strong support from the crowd, who have chanted nautical-themed cheers such as “all aboard the Fery.”
Carrying the expectations of a nation, Fery is set to enter the world’s top 100 rankings for the first time following Wimbledon. He remains focused on maintaining composure.
“What I experienced [on Monday] personally, I’m really going to cherish it for the rest of my life,”he said.
“Who knows, that might be the first and last time. Hopefully not. So yeah, I’m just trying to really soak it all in and keep the memories.”
