Arthur Fery, the 23-year-old British wildcard, has made history at Wimbledon by becoming the first British wildcard entry ever to reach the quarter-finals of the tournament. He achieved this feat by defeating Bulgarian star Grigor Dimitrov in a five-set thriller on Monday night, in front of his childhood hero Roger Federer.
Hometown Roots and Family Support
Although born in the Paris suburb of Sevres, Fery moved to SW19 at age two and grew up just minutes from the All England Club. His mother Olivia, a former tennis pro, is a member at the club, and his younger brother is working at this year's tournament as a runner. His father Loic, 53, who is CEO of Chenavari Investment Managers, has been cheering him on, saying: "We're all very, very proud of him. He's a Wimbledon boy."
Loic Fery added: "Some of his local friends were ball boys. His brother is actually a runner. He's working here for an internship. It's a community he belongs to." Fery's father also noted that despite having two French parents, Arthur has always been "very attached to playing for a team from GB."
Journey to Wimbledon Stardom
Fery, ranked 114th before the tournament, studied at King's College School in Wimbledon on a scholarship and later attended Stanford University in the US on a tennis scholarship for a Science, Technology and Society degree. He became number one on the ITA college circuit. After turning professional full-time around 18 months ago, he has overcome injuries including bone bruising in his arm that caused "doubts and dark moments."
His father emphasized Arthur's dedication: "He's doing it step-by-step. He's always learning. We never pushed him. It's his thing." Loic also thanked the LTA for helping Arthur develop and making him accountable for his own project.
Quarter-Final Match and Fan Support
Fery will face world number ten Flavio Cobolli on Wednesday in an attempt to reach the semi-finals. He previously beat Cobolli in a three-set match in Australia. Fery commented: "It's going to be a good match. I'm expecting it to be very, very difficult and different to Australia. I played really well in Australia. I felt like I dominated the match. So we'll use that experience."
Fans have invented a new chant for Fery, starting with the line 'Here Comes The Fery!', which he described as "original." He prepares for matches by listening to house music and British rappers like Dave and Central Cee. His coach Jeroen Benard has been with him for about a year, and Fery said: "We had a great fit straightaway. These two weeks have been incredible for us."
Expert Praise and Advice
Former British tennis star Greg Rusedski praised Fery's performance: "We all want to see England in the semis in the World Cup and we want to see Fery in the semis. I think we'll get both our wishes. His swagger, the way he walks around the court, he shows that he believes." Rusedski advised: "Keep the body language. Keep the swagger. Keep doing what you're doing. Don't change a thing." He added: "The guy was barely serving between 40 and 80 balls a year ago because of his elbow problem. And now he's all of a sudden in the quarters of Wimbledon."
