British wildcard Arthur Fery collapsed on the grass after a gruelling five-set victory over Zizou Bergs at Wimbledon 2026, securing a place in the fourth round with a 2-6, 7-5, 2-6, 7-6 (3), 7-6 (5) win. The match, the longest of the tournament so far, saw Fery overcome multiple nosebleeds, sapping heat, and an opponent ranked 77 places higher.
Fery's Historic Comeback
Fery, ranked 114th in the world, became only the fifth British man this century to reach the second week of Wimbledon, joining Tim Henman, Greg Rusedski, Andy Murray and Cameron Norrie. He is also the first British wildcard to reach round four since Andrew Foster in 1993. The 23-year-old, who grew up a mile from the Wimbledon grounds, needed treatment three times for nosebleeds during the match.
“I don’t know what’s going on right now,” Fery said. “It’s going to take some time to digest. Just tried to stay in the match. Just tried to be the best fighter I could.”
Match Details and Drama
The match featured 106 unforced errors and 18 double faults between the two players. Bergs, named after Zinedine Zidane, was warned for spitting on the court and lost his cool as Fery fought back. Fery’s coach, Jérôme Bernard, urged him to “play with width” and focus on serve placement rather than aces.
Fery trailed by two breaks in the fourth set and one break in the fifth before forcing tie-breaks. He won the fourth-set tie-break 7-3 and the fifth-set tie-break 7-5, collapsing to the grass in exhaustion after the final point.
Background and Impact
Born in Paris to French parents, Fery came through the US college system and his father is a hedge-fund owner and one of the richest men in France. Despite his privileged background, Fery’s toughness was on display throughout the match. The victory lifts him into the world’s top 100, earning automatic entry into other grand slams.
Fery will face Grigor Dimitrov in the fourth round. The win provides a boost for British tennis after a disappointing tournament for home players, raising questions about the Lawn Tennis Association’s funding.
