Meet Arthur Fery, the new British tennis sensation at Wimbledon

An incredible run into quarter-finals sees Fery become new poster boy of British tennis

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Britain's Arthur Fery reacts as he plays against Bulgaria's Grigor Dimitrov during their men's singles round of 16 tennis match on the eighth day of the 2026 Wimbledon Championships at The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in Wimbledon, southwest London, on July 6, 2026.
Britain's Arthur Fery reacts as he plays against Bulgaria's Grigor Dimitrov during their men's singles round of 16 tennis match on the eighth day of the 2026 Wimbledon Championships at The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in Wimbledon, southwest London, on July 6, 2026.
AFP-GLYN KIRK

Cross-Channel Fery on a Fery-tale run.

Newspapers are having a field day with headlines as British wildcard Arthur Fery keeps making history at Wimbledon with an incredible run into the quarter-finals following his epic five-set victory against Grigor Dimitrov, the player who was once dubbed ‘baby Federer’ for his striking resemblance to the Swiss maestro’s style of play.

And tennis royalty Roger Federer was himself present in the Royal Box watching Fery defeat Dimitrov 7-5, 3-6, 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (10/7) in a last-16 classic lasting three hours and 55 minutes.

Fery became the first British wildcard to reach a Grand Slam quarter-final in the Open era and only the fifth wildcard in the Open era to reach the last eight in the men's singles at The Championships. The world number 114 is also the lowest-ranked player to reach the men's singles quarter-finals at a Grand Slam since 2021.

The 23-year-old is the last Briton left in the men's and women's singles this year after a run that borders on the unbelievable. He used to come to Wimbledon when he was a kid to watch Federer on Centre Court, having grown up only five minutes away from the All England Club.

"We've got probably the greatest of all time watching in the front row over there," Fery said, nodding in Federer's direction, following his win. "And now playing here in front of all you guys, having the support and winning, it's unbelievable."

France-born Fery's wealthy father Loic is the president of Ligue 1 football club Lorient, while his mother Olivia enjoyed a distinguished tennis career, winning two singles titles and playing at the French Open.

The 23-year-old moved from France to London as a young child and went to school in the Wimbledon area.

He has already captivated fans at Wimbledon with his courageous victories, beating Zizou Bergs in five sets in a third-round marathon that ranks as the longest match of the tournament this year.

Fery also came from a set down to win in the opening two rounds, so he was never likely to panic when former world number three Dimitrov moved two sets to one ahead and broke in the fourth set.

"A week ago, I would have been happy to win a few matches here. Now being in the quarters is a dream," Fery said.

"Just trying to keep fighting and have a good attitude with my back against the wall. It paid off today."

The famous grass verge where fans gather to watch matches on a big screen at the All England Club has already been dubbed 'Arthur's Seat' after previously being known as Henman Hill and Murray Mount.

The new British tennis star next plays French Open finalist Flavio Cobolli for a place in the semi-finals.

Jaydip is a Pages Editor at Gulf News and has sports running in his veins. While specializing in Tennis and Formula 1, he also makes sure to stay on top of cricket, football, golf, athletics and anything related to sports in general. Known for his ability to dig out exclusive stories and land interviews with the biggest names in sports, Jaydip has built up a remarkable portfolio in almost 25 years of journalism, with one-on-one interviews of Michael Schumacher, Roger Federer, Usain Bolt and Tiger Woods, just to name a few. Besides sports, Jaydip also has a keen interest in films and geopolitics.

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