Arthur Fery received a standing ovation on Centre Court after his astonishing Wimbledon run finally ended in the semi finals. The world number three Alexander Zverev beat him in straight sets, 7-6, 6-2, 6-4.
The 23-year-old admitted the match was a 'step too far' after being outclassed by the rampant Zverev, who clinched the French Open title earlier this year. Despite a resilient performance in the opening set, Fery could not keep pace with his German opponent.
Financial and Ranking Windfall
Fery will rake in £900,000 in winnings from the tournament. His ranking has leapt from 114th to 36th, a jump that will open doors to new tour event opportunities.
“Today was tough and it still hurts like a loss, but overall a great two weeks,” said Fery after the loss. He admitted his winning streak earlier in the tournament “would change things for sure”.
Dealing with New Expectations
“It’s going to be interesting to see how I deal with the change in expectations from the public and from friends and family,” he added. “It’s going to be crucial to have good people around me to help with the transition.”
The average tennis fan would not have known Fery’s name before this year’s tournament, but a succession of knockout wins put the young Briton on the map. Centre Court gave him a standing ovation after the loss.
Missed Holiday and Fan Scenes
Fery had meant to go on holiday to Greece with some mates last week, but because he was in the competition for way longer he missed the European jaunt. “Hopefully that’s still on the cards, I think my mates were secretly hoping I’d lose sooner so that I could join them out there,” he said.
The day started full of hope as fans filed into Wimbledon to the soundtrack of Total Eclipse of the Heart, played by a man with a boombox honouring the late Bonnie Tyler. There were chaotic scenes on Murray Mound—known in this tournament as Arthur’s Seat—as a surge of people were turned away by groundstaff when the first semi final kicked off.
