Upon the conclusion of Wimbledon at the end of this week, one story will remain at the forefront of every tennis fan’s mind.
That story will be the journey of Arthur Fery – Great Britain’s heroic figure at this year’s Championships.
The British star, 23, has produced some mesmerising tennis to reach the semi-finals in south-west London, despite being ranked 114th in the world heading into the event.
Do you believe Arthur Fery can win Wimbledon?
Fery, who played his college tennis at Stanford University, has beaten the likes of Grigor Dimitrov and Flavio Cobolli en route to the last four.
The Briton now faces Alexander Zverev – the second seed and recent Roland Garros champion.
Paul Goldstein, Fery’s coach at Stanford, has discussed what the youngster can do to trouble Zverev on Friday in an exclusive interview with Tennishead.
Paul Goldstein discusses Arthur Fery’s match against Alexander Zverev at Wimbledon
Fery joined the Stanford University Tennis Team earlier this decade and quickly established himself as one of the best young talents on the collegiate circuit.
The young Briton went on to become a Two-time ITA All-American [2022, 2023], the Pac-12 Singles Player of the Year for 2023, and two-time All-Pac-12 first team player [2022, 2023].
Paul Goldstein [pictured below in 2008], the head coach of the Stanford Cardinal tennis team, has expressed his joy at witnessing his former player’s extraordinary run at Wimbledon this year.
“My heart is just sort of full of joy, bursting with joy for Arthur,” Goldstein, the former world number 58 said. “He’s an incredible young man.
“I’m sure many of your readers are [or] people around the world are sort of getting to know Arthur for the first time, watching him play tennis over the course of this fortnight at Wimbledon and seeing what an exceptional tennis player he is.
“But I would like everyone to know that he, as exceptional of a tennis player as he is, is a better human being. So just so happy for him, really well deserved.”
Arthur Fery’s Wimbledon campaign so far
- R1: defeated Damir Dzumhur 3-6, 6-2, 6-2, 6-1
- R2: defeated Otto Virtanen 5-7, 7-6, 6-3, 6-3
- R3: defeated Zizou Bergs 2-6, 7-5, 2-6, 7-6, 7-6
- R4: defeated Grigor Dimitrov 7-5, 3-6, 4-6, 6-4, 7-6
- QF: defeated Flavio Cobolli 6-4, 7-6, 6-0
- SF: will play Alexander Zverev
Goldstein, who achieved a career-high ranking of 58 on the professional circuit, also analysed Fery’s upcoming match against German superstar Alexander Zverev.
“I’d start by saying let’s just pause and reflect on the fact that we’re talking about the semi-finalists being Sinner, Djokovic, Zverev, and Fery,” Goldstein said. “It is pretty remarkable, and let’s not lose sight of that.
“Having said that, the matchup against Zverev I think is different than a lot of the matchups he’s been playing thus far.
“You probably have the best server in the world currently in Zverev and so he’ll get his fair share of free points against any returner, including Arthur who, right now, I have to argue, is one of the best returners in the world.
“And then when they get into a point and we get into a rally. I think Arthur’s going to have to force the issue a little bit more than perhaps he’s been playing. Zverev defends his court so, so incredibly well.
“Zverev is coming off a well-deserved first Grand Slam victory is playing with mountains of confidence. I mean, as much confidence as Arthur’s playing with, Sasha is in that same boat.”
Wimbledon Men’s Singles semi-finals
- Arthur Fery vs Alexander Zverev
- Jannik Sinner vs Novak Djokovic
Zverev, the world number three, finally removed the weight of the world from his shoulders last month when he captured his first major title at the French Open.
The German, who was widely considered to be one of the best players to have never won a Slam – prior to his triumph – defeated Flavio Cobolli, 6-1, 4-6, 6-4, 6-7, 6-1 in the Parisian final.
“And he just he defends that court so well,” Goldstein continued, discussing Zverev’s game. “Probably the best defender that Arthur’s played in this in this tournament.
“Let’s also be clear I worked with him [Fery] for three years. He arguably didn’t listen to me much when I was coaching him at Stanford [laughs], and certainly he’s been on his own for the last three years with his team and so full credit to Arthur and his team for what’s happening right now and for these magical moments at Wimbledon.
“I haven’t talked to him about strategy at all. I’m just [speculating].
“I’m guessing that he’s going to have a strategic tactics of wanting to take the play to Alexander a little bit more and feeling like he’s going to need to dictate play a little bit more than what he’s been doing in the past.
“Once you get into a rally, I think a huge priority for Arthur would be to make sure he tries to get into as many rallies as possible on Zverev’s serve, and then, feeling on his own serve, he’s probably going to have to do a little bit more just to get how well Zverev defends.”
| Statistical Area | Fery | Cobolli |
| Aces | 8 | 6 |
| Double Faults | 1 | 2 |
| Winners | 27 | 22 |
| Unforced Errors | 15 | 41 |
| Break points saved | 4/9 | 3/4 |
“In terms of the matchup with Zverev, I don’t think there’s a player in the world that, if you said, ‘ok, you got to play Arthur Fery,’ would choose to play him on a grass court,” Goldstein later added.
“It’s a very favourable surface for Arthur.
“He’s a little bit lower to the ground by virtue of being probably below the average height of a player on tour and his game style, not only from a physical stature standpoint, but the way the ball comes off his racket, suits grass – ball stays low, he hits the ball through the court.
“He’s got the feel which is a real advantage on the grass, so it’s a real favourable surface for him.
“In terms of the matchup with Zverev, I’m sure Zverev would prefer not to play him on the grass. So I think that’s helpful.”
Give us your one crazy prediction for the second week of Wimbledon!
Arthur Fery’s ‘world class’ attributes
Goldstein, who has helped Stanford qualify for the NCAA Championships in each of his 12 seasons at the University, also delved into the specifics of Fery’s all-court game.
“The backhand is elite, always has been world-class,” the American coach stated. “His feel at the net – not just at the net – drop shots at the net as well, I’ve always felt like has been elite and world-class.
“If anything, when he was in school, I would have liked to see him come forward more. So it’s really spectacular for my perspective to see him doing that at Wimbledon.
He later added: “I’d put his movement as world class. You saw the way he covered the court yesterday against Cobolli – it was extraordinary.
“Maybe [Alex] De Minaur is moving a little bit better than him on Tour right now. But if there’s a second tier after De Minaur, you have to put Arthur in it.”
The winner of Fery and Zverev will play either Novak Djokovic or Jannik Sinner in the Wimbledon final.
Sinner is seeking to defend his title in London, while Djokovic is hoping to win a record 25th major singles title.
Djokovic would also equal Roger Federer’s record of eight Wimbledon Men’s Singles titles, should he lift the trophy on Sunday.
