The Londoner has made Wimbledon history as the first British wildcard to reach the quarter-finals
10:24, 08 Jul 2026Updated 10:38, 08 Jul 2026
Arthur Fery entered the competition as a wildcard and has defied all expectations(Image: James Fearn, Getty Images)
As Wimbledon enters its final few days, there have already been plenty of iconic moments, from Naomi Osaka’s dramatic first-round entrance to Novak Djokovic’s blockbuster win over Felix Auger-Aliassime, a match which lasted a record-breaking 5 hours and 15 minutes.
Unfortunately the majority of British players crashed out of the tournament early on, with Emma Raducanu and Jack Draper both withdrawing due to injury and Cameron Norrie getting knocked out in the first round. However, one largely unknown name has defied all expectations and continues to take Wimbledon by storm.
He may have been born in the Parisian suburb of Sèvres, but Arthur Fery will be very much playing on home turf when he takes to the court at Wimbledon this afternoon (Wednesday, July 8). Fery moved to SW19 at just two years old, growing up only a stone’s throw from the All England Club, where his younger brother is working during this year’s tournament and his mother Olivia, herself a former tennis professional, is understood to hold membership, reports the Mirror.
The player grew up just a stone’s throw from the All England Club(Image: Matthew Stockman, Getty Images)
As a child, he was a regular spectator at the championships, and the crowds – some who know him personally – very much regard the 23-year-old as one of their own.
Arthur’s French-born father Loïc, 53, has been spotted cheering his son on with great enthusiasm. Reflecting on his achievements at this year’s tournament, he said: “We’re all very, very proud of him. He’s a Wimbledon boy. England means a lot and Great Britain means a lot because he grew up here. And he’s always, despite having two French parents, he’s always been very, very attached to playing for a team from GB. He played Davis Cup last year. It was one of the biggest honours he could have and he was so proud of it and he won.”
At 5ft 9in, Fery, 23, is swiftly establishing himself as one of the standout names at this year’s Championships. He etched his name into Wimbledon history by becoming the first British wildcard entry ever to reach the quarter-finals of the tournament, defeating Bulgarian star Grigor Dimitrov in a gripping five-set encounter, watched on by his childhood hero Roger Federer, on Monday evening.
He is now bid to secure a semi-final spot when he faces world number ten Flavio Cobolli on Wednesday.
Reflecting on just how at ease his son is at the prestigious tournament, Loic added: “Some of his local friends were ball boys. Not now because they’re younger, but in his first Wimbledon, he had ball boys who were his friends. His brother is actually a runner. They bring the rackets. He’s working here for an internship. And yeah, so it’s a community he belongs to.”
Arthur’s dad Loic Fery has been enthusiastically cheering for his son at the tournament(Image: James Marsh/Shutterstock)
Loic, who serves as CEO of Chenavari Investment Managers, which reportedly oversees assets worth nearly £4.5billion, enrolled Arthur at Wimbledon’s King’s College School, where annual fees reach up to £35,000.
Notable alumni include Mumford and Sons frontman Marcus Mumford, Chronicles of Narnia actor Ben Barnes and Ross Hutchins, himself a former professional tennis player who went on to become CEO of the International Tennis Federation.
Yet despite his privileged background, which encompassed holidays at the family’s second home near La Rochelle or with relatives in Nice, it is evident that Arthur has put in an extraordinary amount of hard work to achieve success in this fiercely competitive sport. His father insists that all the credit for his achievements belongs to the young player himself – accomplishments that have come despite battling injuries, including bone bruising in his arm that previously left him experiencing “doubts and dark moments”.
Loic, who served as owner and president of French football club FC Lorient until earlier this year, said: “He’s doing it step-by-step. He’s always learned and is learning from the experience. Sometimes they’re good, sometimes they’re more difficult. He’s learning from it. He’s very dedicated to his tennis. We never pushed him. It’s his thing.”
Having completed his schooling in Wimbledon, Fery went on to study at Stanford University in the United States on a tennis scholarship, pursuing a Science, Technology and Society degree programme.
His proud father reveals he rose to become number one on America’s college circuit, the ITA. He has now been a full-time professional for approximately 18 months and is evidently going from strength to strength.
Loic said: “I think we need to thank the LTA as well because the LTA is extremely helpful in helping him develop and making him very accountable. They put him in charge of his project. So, you know, running the team, running the coach, running all his team.”
During his first-round match, Fery was watched on Court 18 by the Princess of Wales, patron of the All England Club, where fans have devised an entertaining ferry-inspired foghorn chant for Britain’s newest Centre Court sensation, opening with the line: ‘Here Comes The Fery!’
Fery will face Flavio Cobolli in the quarter finals this afternoon(Image: Tim Clayton, Getty Images)
The Brit, whose father describes him as “a normal 23-year-old”, has described the song as “original”, yet it’s evident his taste in music leans towards something a little more cutting-edge. He has been gearing up for matches at this year’s tournament by tuning into his favourite artists, rappers included.
Fery said: “I like Rufus Du Sol, kind of house music, I listen to house music a lot. Gets me in the zone. I like British rappers as well – Dave, Central Cee, all the guys who are at the top of the music industry right now.”
Fery is cheered on courtside by his nearest and dearest, alongside his Dutch-born coach Jeroen Benard. He said: “It’s been about a year now that I’m working with Jeroen. We had a great fit straightaway. Great fit on and off the court. So it kind of was a good transition and good fit. So yeah, it’s working well. Obviously, yeah, these two weeks have been incredible for us. Yeah, it’s been awesome to have him behind me.”
Reflecting on his last 16 victory against Dimitrov, Fery admitted: “It was awesome. I had so many friends, so much family there, as well as all my team and people that I really trust in and enjoy spending time with. These matches are such roller coasters. I’m always looking up. They’re communicating to me. We’re all in the match together. When I get over the line, and it’s the first time I’m on Centre Court, first time I’m trying to qualify for a quarter-final in a slam, yeah, it’s great to share those moments with them.”
Reflecting on his upcoming quarter-final, Fery, who previously defeated Cobolli, 24, in a three-set clash in Australia, commented: “It’s going to be a good match. I’m expecting it to be very, very difficult and different to Australia. Completely different conditions. I’m sure he’s going to be at 100% of his capacities here, which maybe he wasn’t quite 100% in Australia. I played really well in Australia. I felt like I dominated the match. So we’ll use that experience for Wednesday.”
Former British tennis ace Greg Rusedski, 52, himself born in Canada, weighed in on Fery’s impressive run in the tournament so far, saying: “We’re doing well in the football and we’re doing well in the tennis now. We all want to see England in the semis in the World Cup and we want to see Fery in the semis. I think we’ll get both our wishes. His swagger, the way he walks around the court, he shows that he believes.”
When asked what guidance he would offer Fery to sustain his remarkable run, Rusedski said: “Keep the body language. Keep the swagger. Keep doing what you’re doing. Don’t change a thing. He’s doing everything right. The hard part for any tennis player is between the ears. And he has that sort of swagger and belief. And that gets you a long way in this sport. Please don’t wake up. Just continue doing what you’re doing.”
Rusedski further added: “He’s a great guy. I’ve spent a lot of practice sessions with him, with Ben Jones, one of the British boys I’ve been working with. He’s a lovely person. He’s very smart. He understands the game and he understands what he needs to do. The story’s great. The guy was barely serving between 40 and 80 balls a year ago because of his elbow problem. And now he’s all of a sudden in the quarters of Wimbledon.”
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