Wimbledon winner Boris Becker has told British wildcard Arthur Fery that his heart and technique, rather than his serve, will make him history at the Grand Slam. Fery, ranked world No. 114, defeated Flavio Cobolli 6-4, 7-6 (7-4), 6-0 to become the first wildcard to reach the semi-finals since Goran Ivanisevic in 2001. He will face No. 2 seed Alexander Zverev on Centre Court on Friday afternoon.
Becker's Advice: Focus on Strengths
Becker, who won Wimbledon as a 17-year-old in 1985, emphasised that Fery should not dwell on his serve. Writing for the Telegraph, Becker said: “Funnily enough, I was talking about Fery on the eve of the tournament because one of my friends is close to his father Loic. This pal of mine had travelled down to the south of France for a big Fery family get-together shortly before Wimbledon. He met Arthur and they talked about tennis, and he said Arthur had been complaining that he wished he was taller because he would love to have a bigger serve. I told my friend that tennis matches are not won by height but by heart and mentality and technique. I reminded him that Lleyton Hewitt wasn’t much taller than Fery, and he won Wimbledon and became No 1 in the world. So when Fery started beating Flavio Cobolli, I got a message from my mate saying: ‘Boris, you’re right! There’s more to life than serves!’”
Serve Statistics and Upcoming Challenge
Against Cobolli, Fery actually out-aced the Italian, hitting eight aces to his opponent's six. However, he may struggle to match Zverev's serving prowess; the German hit 14 aces in his 6-4, 6-4, 6-2 victory over Taylor Fritz. Fery will enter the match as the underdog against the French Open winner, but Becker believes the Brit should stick to his routines and avoid distractions.
Stay in the Bubble
Becker advised: “If I were advising Fery, I’d tell him not to open the phone, not to answer any messages, and to stay off Instagram and the rest of the social media networks. He should keep himself completely in the dark. It’s probably a positive that he has only got one day between matches, rather than the two-day break that Novak Djokovic and Jannik Sinner have enjoyed on the other side of the draw. Because, at this stage of a major, it’s all about keeping to your routines.”
Becker's Own Experience
Drawing parallels to his own 1985 Wimbledon triumph, Becker said: “I feel like I can empathise more than most with Fery because of my own experiences at Wimbledon in 1985. Admittedly, I was not quite as much of an outsider as he is today. But when I went to Melbourne the previous winter to play the Australian Open, I was just turning 17 and still ranked outside the world top 100. So for me to win Wimbledon that summer was a big story. Looking back, I’m glad that social media wasn’t a thing in those days. I was able to shut myself away and focus on my routine.”
