Arthur Fery is one win away from the Wimbledon final, and his journey has come almost full circle. The 23-year-old wildcard first stepped onto a court aged four at Westside Tennis Club, a little over a mile from the All England Club. Now he is preparing to face second seed Alexander Zverev in the semi-finals on Friday at 13:30 BST.
Fery was born in Sevres, a suburb of Paris, to French parents. The family moved to London before his first birthday. He grew up just a short walk from Centre Court and learned tennis from Alison Taylor, wife of three-time Wimbledon semi-finalist Roger Taylor. "Arthur was incredibly athletic and gifted," Taylor told BBC Radio 5 Live. "His footwork was exceptional... You could see there was something special there." Fery's 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 who owned French Ligue 1 football club Lorient.
“Who is Arthur Fery, how he became British and his Wimbledon run.”
Despite being born in France, Fery represents Great Britain. He says: "I feel completely British now... I train at the National Tennis Centre. The federation helped me. I feel very British at heart." Some French fans have tried to claim him as their own, prompting a "hands-off" response from British supporters. Fery's father Loic told L'Equipe: "He's a true Wimbledon boy." The new British No 1, world number 114, is the first-ever British wildcard to reach the Wimbledon semi-finals.
For UK readers, Fery's run is a rare sporting fairytale. He grew up five minutes from Centre Court and is now one match from the final. His success also highlights the global nature of tennis: a player born in France, with French parents, but raised and trained in Britain, can represent his adopted country at the highest level. And the financial stakes are huge: even if he loses in the semi-finals, he will take home £900,000, more than his entire career earnings to date.
Q: Where was Arthur Fery born? Arthur Fery was born in Sevres, a suburb of Paris, to French parents. His family moved to London before his first birthday.
Q: Why does Arthur Fery play for Great Britain and not France? Fery moved to Britain as a baby, grew up in Wimbledon, trains at the National Tennis Centre, and has said he "feels very British at heart." He has received support from British tennis authorities and has identified as British for many years.
Q: How much prize money will Arthur Fery earn at Wimbledon? Fery is guaranteed £900,000 for reaching the semi-finals. If he reaches the final, he would earn £1.8 million as runner-up or £3.8 million as champion.
What happens next? Fery plays Alexander Zverev in the semi-final on Friday. If he wins, he will face the winner of the other semi-final in the final on his 24th birthday. A victory would make him the second wildcard to win Wimbledon after Goran Ivanisevic in 2001.
