Arthur Fery produced the first major upset of the Australian Open on Monday, defeating 20th seed Flavio Cobolli 7-6 (1), 6-4, 6-1 to reach the second round for the first time. The 23-year-old Briton, ranked 186th in the world, showed remarkable composure after squandering an early opportunity to serve out the opening set, recovering to dominate the tie-break and then control the remainder of the match.
Fery, who stands just 1.75m tall, used precise groundstrokes and excellent angles to keep Cobolli under pressure throughout. His willingness to move forward and comfort at the net proved decisive, as did his defensive skills and calmness in key moments. The victory is Fery’s first grand slam win outside Wimbledon, where he had previously defeated 20th seed Alexei Popyrin last year.
Cobolli, who took Novak Djokovic to four sets at Wimbledon in 2024, was clearly struggling with illness. He called for the trainer after the first game, reporting an upset stomach and diarrhoea, and sprinted to the toilet after losing the tie-break. The Italian offered little resistance thereafter as Fery cruised through the second and third sets.
Fery’s path to this breakthrough has been unconventional. Born in France to a wealthy businessman father and former professional tennis player mother, he grew up in Wimbledon. After reaching a junior ranking of No 12, he opted for college tennis at Stanford University from 2020 to 2023 before turning professional. A bone bruise on his right arm sidelined him for five months last year and still causes discomfort, but Fery said he feels confident in his game.
“I just feel really confident,” Fery said. “I feel I don’t have to overplay with guys like that. I felt like I was really fine to stick from the back with them.” His mother, who flew out to Melbourne after he qualified, was courtside to witness the milestone win. “At least I made it worth it,” Fery added. “She can see at least two matches – hopefully more.”
