Arthur Fery's remarkable Wimbledon campaign has captured global attention, but perhaps no one is more impressed than former world No. 1 Andy Roddick, who responded with an X-rated comment after the British wildcard's latest upset.
Roddick's Explicit Admission
On his podcast Andy Roddick's Served, the three-time Wimbledon finalist admitted he had underestimated the 23-year-old Briton. Reflecting on Fery's 7-5, 3-6, 4-6, 6-4, 7-6(7) victory over Grigor Dimitrov, Roddick said: “Match of the day - Arthur Fery versus Grigor Dimitrov. Storyline’s crazy. I’m gonna lay on the sword here, you ready? I completely underestimated this guy. F**k me, he’s tough. Man, he was good today.”
Roddick praised Fery's aggressive play, noting: “I mean, crush and rush on some second serves…I was impressed. Back-to-back five-set breakers. Beat Zizou Bergs, who was in form. Fifth-set breaker, ran through that breaker, beats Dimitrov.”
Fery's Path to the Quarter-Finals
Fery, born in France to FC Lorient president Loic and his ex-wife Olivia, entered Wimbledon as a wildcard ranked outside the top 100. He defeated in-form Zizou Bergs in a fifth-set tiebreak before overcoming former Wimbledon semi-finalist Grigor Dimitrov in another five-set thriller. The win sets up a quarter-final clash against ninth seed Flavio Cobolli, who reached the French Open final earlier this year.
The odds are stacked against Fery, but he holds a psychological edge: he defeated Cobolli in straight sets in the first round of the Australian Open in January, where Fery was a qualifier. Cobolli will seek revenge when they meet on Centre Court on Wednesday afternoon.
What's at Stake
The winner of Fery-Cobolli will face either Alexander Zverev or Taylor Fritz in the semi-finals. World No. 1 Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic have already booked their places in the other semi-final. Roddick, who finished runner-up at Wimbledon in 2004, 2005, and 2009, said he will be watching closely to see if Fery can maintain his composure under pressure.
Roddick's explicit praise underscores the magnitude of Fery's achievement. The Briton has already exceeded all expectations, and with the pressure off, he could continue his dream run at SW19.
