ARTHUR FERY BECAME the first man to reach the Wimbledon semi-finals as a wildcard in 25 years after the Briton extended his fairytale run with a stunning victory against Flavio Cobolli on Wednesday.
Fery swatted aside French Open finalist Cobolli 6-4, 7-6 (7/4), 6-0 in a quarter-final rout that delighted the partisan crowd on Centre Court.
The 23-year-old is the first British wildcard to reach the semi-finals of a Grand Slam in the Open era.
Fery faces French Open champion Alexander Zverev on Friday for a place in Sunday’s final.
“It gets better and better every match. It’s incredible. I just can’t believe it,” Fery said.
“I was very nervous beforehand but I just kept going until the finish line. In that last game I felt emotions I have never felt in my life.”
The world number 114′s astonishing run has him positioned to follow in the footsteps of flamboyant Croatian Goran Ivanisevic, who beat Pat Rafter to win Wimbledon as a wildcard in 2001.
Incredibly, Fery is just two victories away from emulating Ivanisevic and becoming the first British man to win Wimbledon since Andy Murray in 2016.
He is the third-lowest ranked man since 1985 to reach the Wimbledon semi-finals, after world number 237 Vladimir Voltchkov in 2000 and world number 125 Ivanisevic in 2001.
He is also the first British man to make the last four at Wimbledon since Cameron Norrie in 2022 and only the fifth in the Open era.
“I beat Flavio earlier this year. It was a boost of confidence, even though this was my first time in the quarter-finals,” he said.
“I’m so happy. I’m just going to keep going and see where that takes me.”
Fery’s jaw-dropping rise comes after he had won just two matches at Grand Slams in his career prior to this year’s Wimbledon.
He had never been past the second round of a Grand Slam in his four other appearances at the majors.
Fery’s run is all the more remarkable as he was unable to play singles for part of 2025 because of a bone stress injury in his arm that hindered him for 18 months.
- A blur of energy -
Injury issues aside, Fery has been to the manor born in the plush surroundings of Wimbledon.
Fery’s wealthy father Loic is the president of French football club Lorient, while his mother Olivia enjoyed a distinguished tennis career, winning two singles titles and playing at the French Open.
Fery moved from France to London as a young child and went to school in the Wimbledon area.
He needed a wild card to enter Wimbledon this year after losing in French Open qualifying and the second round at the Australian Open.
Fery announced himself as an All England Club cult hero with a brilliant five-set victory over former world number three Grigor Dimitrov in the last 16.
No wonder 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.
Cobolli, who made it to the Roland Garros final in June, seemed uncomfortable from the start against Fery.
Complaining about the raucous pro-Fery crowd and grumbling about a champagne cork popping as he was about to serve, the Italian world number 10 was no match for the effervescent underdog.
Fery has been riding a wave of emotion since fighting back to beat Zizou Bergs in five sets in the third round and once again he was a blur of energy on the baseline, taking the first set on his first break point.
Showing no sign of nerves, Fery kept the pressure on Cobolli and took the second set in a tie-break.
With the temperature approaching a blistering 34C, Fery was the coolest man on Centre Court. He raced through the third set and collapsed to the turf in disbelief after clinching the biggest win of his life with an ace.
Meanwhile, Zverev romped to a comprehensive victory over Taylor Fritz to reach his first Wimbledon semi-final
The second seed, who had never got past the last 16 in nine previous trips to the All England Club, snapped a seven-match losing streak against Fritz in fine style, winning 6-4, 6-4, 6-2 in only an hour and 59 minutes.
“I’m extremely happy to be in the semi-finals, especially against Taylor who I hadn’t beaten in two years,” said the German.
Zverev is only the third German man in the Open era to make the last four at all the Grand Slam tournaments, after Boris Becker and Michael Stich – Germany’s last men’s Wimbledon winner in 1991.
“I’m just happy to still be in the tournament, last year I was already practising on a hard court,” added Zverev, who lost in the first round in 2025.
“It’s a dream come true to finally play well at Wimbledon, I’ve waited a long time for it.”
The 29-year-old will become the first player from Germany to play a men’s Wimbledon semi-final since Tommy Haas in 2009 when he takes on world number 114 Fery on Friday.
He will be a huge favourite against the home crowd’s new hero, with reigning champion and world number one Jannik Sinner or Novak Djokovic awaiting in the final.
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Britain's Fery becomes first Wimbledon wildcard to reach semi-finals in 25 years
ARTHUR FERY BECAME the first man to reach the Wimbledon semi-finals as a wildcard in 25 years after the Briton extended his fairytale run with a stunning victory against Flavio Cobolli on Wednesday.
Fery swatted aside French Open finalist Cobolli 6-4, 7-6 (7/4), 6-0 in a quarter-final rout that delighted the partisan crowd on Centre Court.
The 23-year-old is the first British wildcard to reach the semi-finals of a Grand Slam in the Open era.
Fery faces French Open champion Alexander Zverev on Friday for a place in Sunday’s final.
“It gets better and better every match. It’s incredible. I just can’t believe it,” Fery said.
“I was very nervous beforehand but I just kept going until the finish line. In that last game I felt emotions I have never felt in my life.”
The world number 114′s astonishing run has him positioned to follow in the footsteps of flamboyant Croatian Goran Ivanisevic, who beat Pat Rafter to win Wimbledon as a wildcard in 2001.
Incredibly, Fery is just two victories away from emulating Ivanisevic and becoming the first British man to win Wimbledon since Andy Murray in 2016.
He is the third-lowest ranked man since 1985 to reach the Wimbledon semi-finals, after world number 237 Vladimir Voltchkov in 2000 and world number 125 Ivanisevic in 2001.
He is also the first British man to make the last four at Wimbledon since Cameron Norrie in 2022 and only the fifth in the Open era.
“I beat Flavio earlier this year. It was a boost of confidence, even though this was my first time in the quarter-finals,” he said.
“I’m so happy. I’m just going to keep going and see where that takes me.”
Fery’s jaw-dropping rise comes after he had won just two matches at Grand Slams in his career prior to this year’s Wimbledon.
He had never been past the second round of a Grand Slam in his four other appearances at the majors.
Fery’s run is all the more remarkable as he was unable to play singles for part of 2025 because of a bone stress injury in his arm that hindered him for 18 months.
- A blur of energy -
Injury issues aside, Fery has been to the manor born in the plush surroundings of Wimbledon.
Fery’s wealthy father Loic is the president of French football club Lorient, while his mother Olivia enjoyed a distinguished tennis career, winning two singles titles and playing at the French Open.
Fery moved from France to London as a young child and went to school in the Wimbledon area.
He needed a wild card to enter Wimbledon this year after losing in French Open qualifying and the second round at the Australian Open.
Fery announced himself as an All England Club cult hero with a brilliant five-set victory over former world number three Grigor Dimitrov in the last 16.
No wonder 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.
Cobolli, who made it to the Roland Garros final in June, seemed uncomfortable from the start against Fery.
Complaining about the raucous pro-Fery crowd and grumbling about a champagne cork popping as he was about to serve, the Italian world number 10 was no match for the effervescent underdog.
Fery has been riding a wave of emotion since fighting back to beat Zizou Bergs in five sets in the third round and once again he was a blur of energy on the baseline, taking the first set on his first break point.
Showing no sign of nerves, Fery kept the pressure on Cobolli and took the second set in a tie-break.
With the temperature approaching a blistering 34C, Fery was the coolest man on Centre Court. He raced through the third set and collapsed to the turf in disbelief after clinching the biggest win of his life with an ace.
Meanwhile, Zverev romped to a comprehensive victory over Taylor Fritz to reach his first Wimbledon semi-final
The second seed, who had never got past the last 16 in nine previous trips to the All England Club, snapped a seven-match losing streak against Fritz in fine style, winning 6-4, 6-4, 6-2 in only an hour and 59 minutes.
“I’m extremely happy to be in the semi-finals, especially against Taylor who I hadn’t beaten in two years,” said the German.
Zverev is only the third German man in the Open era to make the last four at all the Grand Slam tournaments, after Boris Becker and Michael Stich – Germany’s last men’s Wimbledon winner in 1991.
“I’m just happy to still be in the tournament, last year I was already practising on a hard court,” added Zverev, who lost in the first round in 2025.
“It’s a dream come true to finally play well at Wimbledon, I’ve waited a long time for it.”
The 29-year-old will become the first player from Germany to play a men’s Wimbledon semi-final since Tommy Haas in 2009 when he takes on world number 114 Fery on Friday.
He will be a huge favourite against the home crowd’s new hero, with reigning champion and world number one Jannik Sinner or Novak Djokovic awaiting in the final.
– © AFP 2026
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