​Arthur Fery’s journey has almost completed its circle. The Wimbledon semi-finalist first stepped onto a court at the Westside Tennis Club, just over a mile from the All England Club, when he was four years old. Nearly two decades later, Britain’s newest breakout star has achieved the most impressive results of his career on the very courts he dreamed of playing on as a child. The 23-year-old wildcard grew up a short walk from Centre Court, and he will return there on Friday at 13:30 BST to continue his fairy-tale run by facing second seed Alexander Zverev in the semi-finals. Playing for a place in the Wimbledon final is uncharted territory for the world number 114, and his story stretches far beyond SW19.
Fery’s tennis IQ and inner belief helped him reach this shock Wimbledon semi-final, and his emergence has already challenged Wimbledon’s expectations—the moment he arrived redefined what the tournament could deliver. Although the new British number one is not representing his birthplace, there is no doubt where his talent was developed. Born in Sevres, a stylish suburb just outside Paris, his family moved to London before his first birthday. He comes from a family with strong sporting roots, and he credits his French parents with shaping his career. Tennis ability comes from his mother Olivia, who played doubles at the 1991 French Open and competed in the Fed Cup. His father Loic is a financier by trade but understands elite sport and the pressures faced by top-level athletes, having owned the French Ligue 1 club Lorient. “They’re both incredibly supportive of my career, not only now but over the past 10 to 11 years I’ve been playing sport,” Fery told BBC Sport earlier this year. “It is important to recognise their help, not only when I’m having success but also in the tough times.”
Fery grew up in Wimbledon and trained at the nearby Westside club, where coach Alison Taylor—married to three-time Wimbledon semi-finalist Roger Taylor—gave him his first tennis lesson. “Arthur was incredibly athletic and gifted,” Taylor told BBC Radio 5 Live. “His footwork was exceptional. He could retrieve any ball and he was very balanced. He had amazing touch, he always liked to do drop shots and rush the net. You could see there was something special there.” Those early skills have underpinned Fery’s run to the Wimbledon semi-finals. He still relies on his movement to defend and then pounce forward when he shifts from defense to attack. It’s also how the 5ft 9in player has learned to punch above his weight. By age 10, Fery’s technical ability had already marked him out as one of the country’s most talented youngsters. He caught the eye of Craig Veal, a coach at the Sutton Tennis Academy, and began working with him alongside French former ATP player Benoit Foucher. The path forward led them to a decision: Fery would benefit more from competing against adults in the UK than from pursuing stronger search engine optimization or celebrity exposure.