Arthur Fery, the last remaining British player in the singles draws at Wimbledon, is set to undergo medical tests to address recurrent nosebleeds that have plagued his recent matches. The 23-year-old world No. 114 has suffered three nosebleeds on court over the past three weeks, including during his second-round victory over Finnish qualifier Otto Virtanen on Court 18.
Nosebleeds Under Investigation
Fery's team, led by LTA men's coach Alex Ward, has arranged for the British No. 3 to consult doctors after the tournament to identify the root cause. Ward, a former player who reached a career-high ranking of No. 242, confirmed: "There's a plan in place for after the tournament to have a look at that and to try and get that sorted. We're aware obviously they've been happening in the last few matches. We're not entirely sure the cause of it. Obviously, it's probably something to do with being on the match court, in that heightened environment, but it's going to be hopefully sorted out post [Wimbledon]."
During his match against Virtanen, Fery experienced a nosebleed that required medical attention. He had also suffered two nosebleeds en route to the Queen's Club quarter-finals earlier this month. Tennis commentator Andrew Castle suggested the issue could be stress-related, remarking: "It can be a sign of pressure and stress."
Facing a Tall Order
Fery's next challenge comes on Saturday when he faces Belgian world No. 37 Zizou Bergs, the recent Eastbourne Open champion. At 5'9", Fery is four inches shorter than Bergs, giving him one of the smallest statures on the men's tour. Ward explained how Fery compensates: "He has to be an exceptional mover, which he is, and he has to be, in some ways, a better tennis player. He's got a very good first serve, but he's not going to get as many cheap points off first serves. He's had to have quite an all-round game, been able to come to the net, been able to defend, attack, use variation. In general, if you are on the shorter side, you have to be better at the skill side, and fortunately, he is."
Despite his stature, Fery has received support from LTA psychologist James Griffin, who has helped him manage the pressures of his breakthrough runs at Queen's and Wimbledon. "It's really helped out with being able to switch off because obviously it's all new experiences for Arthur," Ward said.
Potential Top 100 Breakthrough
A victory over Bergs would propel Fery into the top 100 for the first time in his career. He has never advanced this far in a Grand Slam tournament. Ward praised Fery's mentality: "The biggest thing as a person is he's really got true self-belief. Not in an arrogant way, but he believes he can beat players that he's playing here, and he goes on court and he loves it. He genuinely loves being on Court 18 with the crowd, a lot of support."
Fery, who was born in France but lives in Wimbledon, has not been scheduled for a show court match and will return to Court 18, where he defeated Virtanen. The match is expected to draw significant home support as the last British singles hope continues his campaign.
