Arthur Fery has captured the nation’s imagination with an extraordinary run to the Wimbledon semi-finals, defying expectations as a wildcard entry ranked 114th in the world.
The 23-year-old will face reigning French Open champion Alexander Zverev on Friday in what promises to be the sternest examination of his burgeoning career.
Speaking after his quarter-final triumph over Flavio Cobolli, Fery addressed questions surrounding his national identity with characteristic directness.
“I’ve now lived here a long time,” he explained. “Maybe 10 years ago, you would have asked me that question. I probably would have said I felt maybe more French than English. But now it’s not the case at all, I feel very British.”
Arthur Fery, born in France, moved to England at the age of four weeks old
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Victory against the world number two would propel Fery into a final against either Jannik Sinner or Novak Djokovic.
Fery’s journey to SW19 began in the most fitting manner possible. Though born in Sevres, a suburb of Paris, his family relocated to Wimbledon when he was merely four weeks old.
He grew up within walking distance of the All England Club, honing his skills at Westside Tennis Club before attending the prestigious King’s College School nearby.
His family background is far from ordinary. His father, Loic Fery, is a hedge fund manager and president of French Ligue 1 club Lorient, with an estimated fortune of £275 million.
His mother, Olivia, competed professionally on the tennis circuit, featuring in the doubles draw at Roland Garros during the 1990s before later working in business development for the Lawn Tennis Association.
Arthur Fery made history after reaching the Wimbledon semi-finals, becoming the first British wildcard to do so
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Despite the groundswell of support at SW19, Fery’s declaration of British identity has provoked a hostile response from certain quarters online.
Critics on X have been unsparing in their assessment. “100% French – who is he kidding?” wrote one detractor, whilst another dismissed his comments entirely: “He’s just saying he’s British because it’s much better for PR.”
One user drew a pointed comparison with footballer Michael Olise, who chose France over England: “We have Olise, you can keep the little rich kid playing with his racket.”
Others were blunter still, with one posting: “He will never be British despite having British citizenship.”
Such reactions echo the treatment previously endured by Emma Raducanu, Greg Rusedski and Johanna Konta.
Emma Raducanu also is British but has parents with different nationalities – her father is Romanian and her mother is Chinese, and Raducanu herself was born in Canada
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Fery’s path to representing Britain was shaped by circumstance as much as choice. He briefly competed for France at under-12 level before switching allegiance, a decision he described as inevitable given his circumstances.
“I was living here, I was training at the National Tennis Centre. I was in the system here,” he reflected. “By that point, there was really no decision to make.”
His route to the professional ranks took an unconventional turn through Stanford University in California, where he studied whilst receiving coaching from former ATP player Paul Goldstein and legendary doubles pair Bob and Mike Bryan.
Should Fery prevail against Zverev, he would become the first British man to reach the Wimbledon final since Andy Murray’s triumph in 2016.
Before Murray’s victories in 2013 and 2016, Fred Perry in 1936 was the last Briton to lift the gentlemen’s singles trophy.
