Arthur Fery's Wimbledon Debut
Arthur Fery hopes to do one better than the 10 Brits who fell at the first hurdle yesterday as he takes on Bosnian star Damir Dzumhur in the opening round. Day one at Wimbledon saw double-digit British players lose, in addition to the high-profile withdrawals of Emma Raducanu and Jack Draper. Katie Swan produced some stunning tennis to grab the UK their first victory of the Slam, beating Irina-Camelia Begu 6-4 6-4. Fery will hope to join her in the second round and has the backing of some eyebrow-raising parents.
The Fery Family Fortune
Arthur also has strong connections to the football world, with his father Loic Fery owning Ligue 1 side Lorient, who share their league with Manchester United minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe's Nice. Loic acquired the club at the age of just 35 in 2009, having learnt valuable lessons from former Sunderland owner Ellis Short, whose son played junior tennis alongside Arthur. A friendship with Arsene Wenger also proved particularly beneficial for the now 52-year-old.
Reflecting on his path into football ownership, Loic, who boasts a net worth of £275million, revealed in 2021: "I learned from Ellis, seeing everything that he went through with Sunderland and those misadventures. His son played some tennis with Arthur so I got to know him."
Loic Fery's Business Journey
"I grew up playing tennis, it was my sport, I was playing regional level competitions until I was 16. I wasn't playing to the level of my wife or Arthur but I am competitive in everything I do. I've always very much enjoyed playing football as well," Loic added. "I looked at investing in Sheffield Wednesday and also Leeds United, and got as far as making an on-site visit. But I thought Lorient was better value from the point of developing a business and it has been a good story so far. When I took over the club, it was in a bad financial situation with negative equity, but we have been able to balance the books over the past 11 seasons."
Mother Olivia's Tennis Career
Meanwhile, Arthur's mother Olivia enjoyed a distinguished tennis career herself, claiming two singles titles and finishing with a 33-25 record in singles competition before hanging up her racket. She also competed at the 1991 French Open.
