‘It’s a lottery’ – Arthur Fery’s former opponent explains how Wimbledon star defied the odds

Richie Mills 08 Jul 2026 9:44 AM

Arthur Fery celebrates at Wimbledon

“What I experienced today, I’m going to cherish for the rest of my life. Who knows, maybe I will never get to experience that ever again.”

Arthur Fery uttered those words after his remarkable five-set comeback win over Grigor Dimitrov on Centre Court on Monday.

The British wildcard twice fought back from a break down in the fourth before eventually prevailing 7-5 3-6 4-6 6-4 7-6 (10-7).

This happened just days after he came back from the dead to beat Zizou Bergs in five sets in the third round. After starting the year at 189th in the world, the 23-year-old is at a career-high 63.

Fery has become only the fifth wildcard to reach the Wimbledon quarter-finals in the Open Era and next up, he is preparing to face French Open runner-up Flavio Cobolli.

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All of this seems fanciful, but the 5ft 9in player has defied the odds for a long, long time.

Indeed, more than 10 years ago, Luke Hymas, now the University of Surrey’s tennis development officer, was playing a young Fery at a junior LTA (Lawn Tennis Association) tournament.

A youthful Hymas, who was two years Fery’s senior, was impressed by his diminutive opponent but as they were playing at a Grade 3 event – suitable for players competing at county, regional, or national level – few would have predicted his stunning rise.

Hymas told Tennis365, “I played Arthur Fery when I was 14. A lot of good friends of mine still play, and they’ve got wins over him. And it’s like, ‘Oh my god, look at him now. I’ve got a win over this guy!’

“When I played him, he was still sort of top, top, but he’s obviously kicked on.”

Fery’s mother, Olivia, is a French former Fed Cup player who used to work for the LTA, while his father, Loic, is the president and former owner of FC Lorient.

While that financial security would have undoubtedly helped Fery, who came through the LTA system, that is not a guarantee for success. But, earning a scholarship at Stanford University may have set the wheels in motion for his ascent.

Although there have been some bumps in the road, including dropping from a year-end ranking of 271 in 2023 to 483 in 2024, the fact that he is in a Wimbledon quarter-final is testament to his dedication and graft.

So, could Hymas – who went on to play at Grade 2 level (regional or national level) and considered turning professional himself – have predicted this for Fery?

Speaking before SW19 got underway, he replied, “No. You think about the number of British players who actually make a living out of tennis on the ATP Tour – it’s like five people.

“Looking back, you think if you’re in the top five for your age group in the country, the number of British players is from ages 18 to mid to late 30s. Let’s say that’s 10 different age groups. Then let’s say we’ve got 10 British male players. That’s basically one player from each age group who makes it. It’s a lottery.

“Fery’s obviously a great player, but there were probably 50 kids that were at the same level as him at that age. I guess the stars just aligned for him.”

When dissecting the ATP Tour’s top 10, world No 1 Jannik Sinner is 6’3, Carlos Alcaraz is 6ft, 24-time major winner Novak Djokovic is 6’2, and Alexander Zverev is 6’6.

The average height of a tennis player is comfortably north of 6ft, while Fery is a few inches short of that.

In an increasingly physical and powerful sport, being shorter than the majority of your opponents is, arguably, a disadvantage.

Hymas said, “I remember he [Fery] was significantly smaller than me, and I am not big. That is probably another reason as well, where you think it doesn’t look like how you imagine a top eight ATP player to look.

“I think the meta is 6’2 to 6’3. He was quite a small guy and I played him at Grade 3. You don’t think someone who’s playing at that level and is small, is going to be someone who’s going to make it, but then he did.”

Fery is now set for his toughest test of his career, taking on world No 9 Cobolli on Wednesday. The Brit did beat the Italian in the first round of this year’s Australian Open, although the then-20th seed later complained of stomach pain.

Either way, Hymas – who got a scholarship at Newcastle University and played tennis at a high level there – will be cheering Fery on to the hilt.

He added, “I am proud of him, definitely. To play tennis at that level, you have to have a different mindset. I almost feel proud that I played him and won games and points off him. To go from there to where he is now is really exceptional.”

Fery will hope these magical experiences are only just beginning.