Wimbledon: Alexander Zverev reveals how he will deal with 99% of crowd supporting Arthur Fery
Alexander Zverev has broken new ground at Wimbledon, but he knows he will have very little support when he takes on Arthur Fery on Centre Court at the SW19.
Having failed to make it past the fourth round in his first nine attempts at the All England Club, the world No 3 has not only gone on to reach his first quarter-final, but he is now into his first semi-final after easing past Taylor Fritz.
After losing seven consecutive matches against the American, including in the round of 16 at Wimbledon last year, Zverev finally turned the tables as he eased to a 6-4, 6-4, 6-2 win.
There is no doubt that the German is still on a high after winning the French Open, but he will face a different kind of challenge in the last four following Fery’s incredible run.
The 23-year-old has enjoyed a mesmerising campaign at SW19 as he received a wildcard entry into the main draw and has now become only the fifth British man to reach the semi-final at Wimbledon following a stunning 6-4, 7-6 (7-4), 6-0 win over Flavio Cobolli.
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Asked about playing home favourite Fery on Centre Court on Friday, Zverev said: “The first time I watched him play was actually in Australia. He beat Cobolli in the first round. I watched that match. I was very impressed back then already. He has a very clean technique and very clean groundstrokes. I thought he was a very good tennis player already back then.
“Of course, it’s maybe a surprise a little bit that he’s in the semi-finals. But I think he deserves it. The wins that he had, the way he fought back in a couple of those matches, is great to see. It’s a great story.
“I’m very happy to play him in the semi-finals. I think it’s going to be a great atmosphere. Of course, I know that 99% of the people will be cheering for him. But I also enjoy those kind of atmospheres. I enjoy it when the energy is very high.
“For me, British crowds, the crowd here at Wimbledon, is always quite fair. They cheer loud, energetic, but they’re still fair. I look forward to that challenge.”
Zverev does have experience of facing a British player on Centre Court as he beat Cameron Norrie in straight sets in the third round in 2024.
“I’m almost 30 years old. I’ve been on tour for long enough. I feel like I’ve seen the most hostile crowds, I’ve seen tough crowds, I’ve seen unfair crowds as well. I feel like I should know how to handle it, I’ve learned how to handle it. I’m okay with it,” he said.
“Again, I always feel like the English crowd here, especially in London, they’re always quite fair. Yes, they can be loud, they can be cheerful, but that’s okay. I don’t mind it at all.
“So yeah, I just look forward to a tough challenge in the semi-finals of a Slam.”
