Arthur Fery’s Wimbledon run defies belief, and yet, despite so many writing him off match after match, he remains in the running.
His run had already been that of a fairytale even before today’s emphatic quarter-final win over Flavio Cobolli, but to have brushed aside a top-ten opponent with such simplicity is indicative of a player performing at the very top of his game.
His confidence, physicality and technical prowess have reached levels even he likely didn’t imagine possible, and now he has the opportunity to play the world’s third-best player in a Grand Slam semi-final.
A month ago, Arthur Fery was 141st in the world rankings.
The new top-ranked Brit has unsurprisingly captured the imagination with his remarkable Wimbledon run, and Tim Henman was keen to shower his countryman with praise after today’s performance.
Tim Henman’s instant reaction as Arthur Fery reaches Wimbledon semi-finals
Speaking live on the BBC, a bewildered Henman admitted: “What I have watched and what I have seen and what I have been so impressed with is firstly the courage and the belief.
“When you go out on Centre for the first time and you are a British player and you have got hopes and expectations of a lot of people on your shoulders and you are inexperienced, you can go out there hoping it will happen and wanting it to happen. But you have actually got to make it happen.
Do you believe Arthur Fery can win Wimbledon?
“I think that’s exactly what Fery has done with his two performances on Centre Court, first against Dimitrov and against Cobolli, who is a world-class performer.
“For him to produce a performance like that, the first two sets were so tight, and then to run away with things in the third set it was sensational. It will just go even further to enhance his inner belief that he can keep winning in this tournament.”
Arthur Fery delivered a similarly emotional reaction during his on-court interview. Even he cannot believe the run he has enjoyed over the past two weeks, and it’s not over yet.
Arthur Fery is now the new British number one
Regardless of what happens in Friday’s mouth-watering semi-final showdown with Zverev, Fery will walk away from Wimbledon a new man, completely altered by this life-changing experience.
And, whilst the prize money will certainly help his cause, it’s what it will do to his ranking that will truly shift the trajectory of his career.
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Already, he has shot up to 36th in the ATP live rankings, having actually overtaken Cam Norrie to become the new British number one.
This is integral for his development, which will now allow him to gain direct entry into virtually any event he wants for the coming months and maybe even the next year.
His previous career-high ranking was 114th.
