Arthur Fery, a 23-year-old British wildcard ranked 114th in the world, is just two wins away from lifting the Wimbledon men's singles trophy. On Friday, he faces second seed Alexander Zverev on Centre Court for a place in the final, having already secured at least £900,000 in prize money—more than double his career earnings to date.
Fery is the first British wildcard to reach the Wimbledon semi-finals in the Open Era. Wildcards are tournament invitations given to players who do not have a high enough ranking to qualify automatically. The All England Club awarded Fery a wildcard this year, and he has beaten the likes of Grigor Dimitrov and Flavio Cobolli—the world No.10—in straight sets to reach the last four. If he wins the tournament, he would become only the second wildcard champion in men's singles history, after Goran Ivanisevic in 2001.
“How British wildcard Arthur Fery reached the Wimbledon semi-finals and what it means for UK tennis.”
Fery's journey to Centre Court began at age four, when he first picked up a racquet at Westside Tennis Club, less than a mile from the All England Club. He was born in Sevres, France, but moved to London before his first birthday and grew up in Wimbledon. His mother, Olivia, played doubles at the 1991 French Open and competed in the Fed Cup; his father, Loic, is a multimillionaire hedge fund manager and president of French football club Lorient. Fery credits his parents' support, and says he feels "completely British at heart," having trained at the National Tennis Centre and received support from the Lawn Tennis Association.
For UK readers, Fery's run offers a rare home-grown success story at Wimbledon. British men have not won the singles title since Andy Murray in 2016, and wildcards rarely advance deep into the tournament. Fery's progress also highlights the financial rewards of Wimbledon: reaching the semi-final guarantees £900,000, with the winner taking £3.8 million. Additionally, his father's wealth—estimated at £275 million—means Fery is not playing for survival, but his dedication to tennis, including a medical procedure for recurrent nosebleeds during the tournament, shows the determination required to succeed at this level.
Q: Who is Arthur Fery? Arthur Fery is a 23-year-old British tennis player born in France, raised in London, and ranked 114th in the world. He received a wildcard to Wimbledon 2026 and has reached the semi-finals, beating several top players along the way.
Q: How much prize money does a Wimbledon semi-finalist get? A semi-finalist at Wimbledon earns £900,000. The runner-up receives £1.8 million, and the champion gets £3.8 million.
Q: Has a wildcard ever won Wimbledon before? Yes, only once in the Open Era: Goran Ivanisevic won the men's singles title as a wildcard in 2001. Arthur Fery could become the second.
What happens next: Fery plays Alexander Zverev in the semi-final on Friday at 13:30 BST. If he wins, he will play in Sunday's final, which also falls on his 24th birthday. The outcome will determine whether he becomes the second wildcard champion in Wimbledon history.
