Arthur Fery delivered an absolutely stunning performance on Centre Court this evening, dismantling ninth seed Flavio Cobolli in straight sets to reach the Wimbledon semi-finals.
The British wildcard needed just two hours and 14 minutes to complete a dominant 6-4 7-6(4) 6-0 victory in only his second-ever appearance on the famous grass court.
It was Fery’s first straight-sets triumph of the fortnight, having battled through gruelling five-set encounters in his previous two rounds.
The 23-year-old, who entered the Championships ranked 114th in the world, has now beaten four opponents to reach the last four of his home Grand Slam.
Arthur Fery became the first British wildcard to reach the semi-finals at Wimbledon in the Open era
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GETTY
Queen Camilla made the occasion even more memorable with a surprise visit to the All England Club alongside her sister Annabel Elliott.
The Queen caught both players off guard just moments before they walked onto court, stopping to introduce herself and wish them well.
BBC presenter Clare Balding was gobsmacked by the unexpected encounter, saying: “It’s the Queen, right behind them. I love this!”
After Fery’s comprehensive victory, Her Majesty was waiting to offer her personal congratulations, telling the young Brit to “keep going” ahead of his semi-final.
Queen Camilla was waiting to speak to Arthur Fery and Flavio Cobolli to wish them well before their match
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BBC
“It’s obviously an honour to play in front of her and it was great to meet her,” Fery said.
“She had some really kind words to me at the end, as well,” he added.
“So yeah, playing in front of tennis legends and now the Queen… it’s really special.”
But it was Fery’s charming birthday revelation that truly captured hearts.
“I told her it was my birthday on Sunday, so it would be great to play the Wimbledon final on my birthday,” he shared with a smile.
The 23-year-old turns 24 on the same day as the men’s singles championship match, giving him extra motivation to go all the way at SW19.
HE’S ONLY GONE AND DONE IT🤯🤯
Arthur Fery, the British wildcard, is into the semi-finals of Wimbledon! pic.twitter.com/UkDWWZb8xc
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) July 8, 2026
Fery’s remarkable run will see him rocket up the rankings next week, climbing from world No. 114 to No. 36 and becoming the new British No. 1.
Despite the physical and mental toll of five consecutive days of intense competition, the wildcard insists his confidence has never been higher.
“I now feel like I can play even when I’m tired, even when I’m stressed,” he explained.
Queen Camilla is an avid tennis fan while Arthur Fery revealed it was “an honour” to play in front of her
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REUTERS
“In any conditions, I feel confident in my game and I know that I can just go out there and compete.”
Standing between Fery and a potential birthday final is French Open champion Alexander Zverev, who awaits in Friday’s semi-final.
