Andy Roddick is the latest big name to have enrolled into the Arthur Fery fan club.
This is a contingent that has seen its ranks grow exponentially over the last two weeks, with his fairytale run at Wimbledon and subsequent rise to prominence alerting many to his presence on the ATP Tour.
He is not content with merely taking part. The way in which he has carved through the draw is indicative of this.
With each passing round, people have written Arthur Fery off, and yet he continues to do the unthinkable.
Do you believe Arthur Fery can win Wimbledon?
Alas, it will take something truly special if he is to maintain such form on Friday in his semi-final against Alexander Zverev.
Roddick, speaking on his Served with Andy Roddick podcast, doesn’t seem set to dismiss his chances though.
Andy Roddick praises Arthur Fery’s tennis IQ
“I think he is fantastic,” he began, before admitting he got it all wrong about Fery. “I thought Dimitrov was going to beat him, I thought Cobolli was going to beat him. I have been so wrong. I thought Bergs was going to beat him!”
This is the general pattern that most have followed with this young Englishman, and yet he just keeps on proving everyone wrong.
Andy Roddick continued by offering his unlimited praise to Fery: “I am so impressed because I am up to having watched 12 or 13 sets of Arthur Fery now and I think in total maybe three times I have gone that was the wrong decision. He has a very high tennis IQ.
“He never plays himself out of a point. He rarely takes an unnecessary risk. When he is aggressive, it’s like a crush and rush, so you are going to have to recalibrate from he is coming in and serving and volleying, or he’s coming in quickly vs he is in defensive mode and I have to hit eight balls to the corners.
“I think his tennis IQ is through the roof.”
John McEnroe also admitted he was amazed by Fery, noting another titanic name in tennis history who has become enamoured with his story.
Arthur Fery joins list of five Brits to have reached Wimbledon semi-finals
It’s a testament to a series of severe droughts within British tennis that Fery is just the fifth man in the Open Era to have reached the Wimbledon semi-finals.
This is a list including Andy Murray, Tim Henman, Roger Taylor and Cameron Norrie.
Were he to beat Zverev on Friday, he’d then become just the second in Open Era history behind Murray to reach the Wimbledon final.
History awaits Fery, but nothing has fazed him just yet.
British men to have reached the Wimbledon semi-final
- Arthur Fery – 2026
- Cam Norrie – 2022
- Andy Murray – 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 (lost in final), 2013 (won title), 2015, 2016 (won title)
- Tim Henman – 1998, 1999, 2001, 2002
- Roger Taylor – 1967, 1970, 1973
He plays with a remarkable level of poise and confidence that belies his lack of experience, and that could be crucial when it comes to trying to take down his biggest challenge yet.
But, with grass clearly being a surface that Zverev has historically struggled on, there’s cause for immense optimism even if many are writing Fery off once again.
