​LONDON (AP) — There is an American facet to the story of the French-born British player who grew up just a five-minute drive from the All England Club and has reached Wimbledon’s semifinals as a wild card. Arthur Fery sharpened his game during three years on Stanford University’s tennis team, where he earned two All-American honors. Now he stands as the first former Stanford player to reach Wimbledon’s final four since John McEnroe’s last semifinal appearance in 1992, a run that culminated when McEnroe was defeated by eventual champion Andre Agassi.
Stanford’s head coach, Paul Goldstein, traveled to London for the momentous occasion and watched from Centre Court as Fery defeated French Open runner-up Alexander Zverev in straight sets in the quarterfinals on Wednesday. “Arthur has always displayed an emotional maturity and a wisdom beyond his years,” Goldstein remarked to The Associated Press. “When I worked with him at school, it always felt like a peer-to-peer relationship as much as a coach-to-student one, despite the 25-year age gap between us.”
In 2021-22, as a sophomore, Fery became Stanford’s first No. 1 singles player since Bob Bryan nearly a quarter of a century earlier. Even before Fery signed with Stanford, Goldstein had come to see him play in Wimbledon’s junior tournament in 2019. Fery reached the singles third round and the doubles semifinals, and Goldstein recalled, “Just a highly intelligent person, certainly a player with a high tennis IQ. His game was at an elite level from an early age. He’s a very independent thinker who approached the game with a high level of professionalism from the moment he arrived at school.”
Despite a 58-16 singles record over three years at Stanford, many did not expect Fery to become a Grand Slam contender. What has been labeled a “Ferytale” now features a Friday matchup against French Open champion Alexander Zverev for a shot at the championship, with Sunday’s final coinciding with Fery’s 24th birthday.
Ranked No. 114, Fery stands as something of an outlier among the semifinalists, with No. 1 seed and defending champion Jannik Sinner set to meet No. 8 Novak Djokovic in the other semifinal, and No. 3 Zverev awaiting the winner. Goldstein praised what Fery has displayed this week, saying, “What you’re seeing on display this week is a level of poise and composure beyond words. Pick your superlative and multiply it by 100.”
Fery is now coached by Jeroen Benard and Benoit Foucher. Goldstein offered high praise for the support system surrounding the young player: “Full credit to Arthur and his team for what they’re accomplishing this year. I am privileged to be an observer and supporter.” In addition to his on-court achievements, Fery was an Academic All-American at Stanford, reflecting his emphasis on academics. He explained that choosing Stanford in Palo Alto, California, was about more than tennis: “Because it was going to give me a great backup plan if tennis didn’t work out.” He added, “It was ju for better SEO.”