If it were a movie script, Arthur Fery’s remarkable Wimbledon adventure would probably never have made it to the big screen because it seemed too far-fetched to be believable.
A 23-year-old who grew up within walking distance of Centre Court. Ranked 114th in the world. A wildcard entrant with only two previous Grand Slam match wins. Wimbledon semi-finalist?
In reality, that is only half of this quite extraordinary sporting tale that could yet have a conclusion that would rival anything in the annals of Wimbledon history.
Fery will face French Open champion and second seed Alexander Zverev on Friday. Win that and he would play in the final on Sunday on his 24th birthday with the chance to emulate Goran Ivanisevic who in 2001 became the only player to win the Wimbledon singles title as a wildcard.
There is still a long way to go, of course, and Zverev will be a sizeable step up in class from ninth seed Flavio Cobolli who Fery dispatched 6-4, 7-6 (7/4) 6-0 on a steamy Centre Court to become only the fifth British man in the professional era to reach Wimbledon semi-finals.
French-born Fery was watched by Britain’s Queen Camilla from the front row of the Royal Box on Wednesday and had Princess Kate cheering him on last week against Otto Virtanen.
Do not expect Fery to buckle under the weight of his new-found fame – his journey has been carefully mapped out.
He delayed going full-time, opting instead for the US college route majoring in science, technology and society at Stanford University where he became the top-ranked college player in the country.
Fery was born close to Roland Garros in the Parisian suburb of Sevres. His parents are both French. Father Loic is a multi-millionaire hedge fund manager who owns French football club Lorient while mom Olivia was a former professional.
He moved to London as a child, attended King’s College in Wimbledon, came through the British tennis system and said there was “no decision to make” when it came to his allegiance.
“He’s a true Wimbledon boy,” Fery’s father told French sports daily L’Equipe.
REUTERS
