Britain’s latest rising prospect caused one of the biggest upsets at the Australian Open on Sunday and is backed by support from his multi-millionaire father
Tom Sunderland Sports Writer
03:00, 20 Jan 2026
Arthur Fery’s Australian Open success should come as no surprise given his family’s sporting background(Image: Cameron Spencer, Getty Images)
The 2026 Australian Open was rocked by a major upset on Sunday when Arthur Fery ousted 20th seed Flavio Cobolli in his tournament debut. However, even a maiden major title Down Under may not make that much a difference to the starlet from a financial perspective.
The 23-year-old Team GB player already has access to a financial empire built by his father, Loic, who is estimated to be worth around £278million. And Arthur’s sporting career could have taken several paths given his dad also owns Ligue 1 club Lorient.
Fery Jr, who won in last year’s Davis Cup, is set to face Tomas Martin Etcheverry in the second round of the Melbourne major on Wednesday. His only previous Grand Slam experience consists of three attempts at Wimbledon, where he caused an upset against another No. 20 seed, Alexei Popyrin, last year to reach the second round for the first time.
Having hit a career-high No. 185 in the ATP rankings earlier this month, Arthur now seems ready to make his mark in his rapidly progressing career. The ITF Tour regular has earned around £400,000 in competition winnings so far, but that pales in comparison to the wealth amassed by his father over the past three decades.
It certainly doesn’t hurt that Fery’s mother, Olivia, who divorced from Loic four years ago, is a former tennis pro herself and competed at the French Open in 1991. Like Arthur, she made her mark in the US college system long before his stint at Stanford, where he achieved a No. 1 national ranking.
READ MORE: Who is Arthur Fery? Meet British star who caused major shock at Australian OpenREAD MORE: Australian Open winner looks unrecognisable now almost 20 years after success Down Under
Loic, on the other hand, was a financial trader in Asia before establishing his own hedge fund, Chenavari, just before the 2008 financial crisis. He took over Lorient, then in Ligue 2, two years later and transformed the team from into one of the most financially stable clubs in France.
Reflecting on his journey into football ownership back in 2021, the 51-year-old discussed how the late Sunderland owner Ellis Short influenced his path as a football investor: “I learned from Ellis, seeing everything that he went through with Sunderland and those misadventures. His son played some tennis with Arthur so I got to know him.
“I grew up playing tennis, it was my sport, I was playing regional level competitions until I was 16. I wasn’t playing to the level of my wife or Arthur but I am competitive in everything I do. I’ve always very much enjoyed playing football as well.
Dad Loic Fery has owned French club Lorient since 2009(Image: Jean Catuffe, Getty Images)
“I looked at investing in Sheffield Wednesday and also Leeds United, and got as far as making an on-site visit. But I thought Lorient was better value from the point of developing a business, and it has been a good story so far.
“When I took over the club, it was in a bad financial situation with negative equity, but we have been able to balance the books over the past 11 seasons.”
After dropping down a division in 2024, Lorient bounced straight back to Ligue 1 and look set to maintain their top-flight status this campaign. Meanwhile, young Arthur will be hoping to replicate that success in Australia following his commanding straight-sets victory over Cobolli.
His mum was present to witness what could be the biggest moment in his career so far as the talent from Wimbledon advanced to the second round. However, that victory, which was interrupted by a lengthy stoppage at one point, should be taken with a grain of salt given Cobolli was battling stomach issues throughout and needed several toilet breaks.
His dad, whose hedge fund now oversees billions in assets, will also be closely monitoring his son’s progress. While Fery’s financial future may not be at risk, securing a maiden major third-round spot this week could be invaluable.
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