Wimbledon 2026: Arthur Fery left carrying British hopes at All England Club

Arthur Fery grew up just a short walk away from Wimbledon but there is much more to his story than simply the confines of SW19.

The British men's number three was born near Paris to his French parents before the family moved to Wimbledon when he was still in nappies.

After coming through the Lawn Tennis Association system, the 23-year-old then moved to Stanford University in California to study for a degree in science, technology and society - and sharpen his game in a tennis scholarship.

Now Fery is back on his doorstep and enjoying the biggest success of his career.

The world number 114 is left carrying British hopes at the All England Club this year after becoming the sole home player to reach the third round of the singles.

"I grew up coming to the tournament, watching the players and that definitely contributed to my development," Fery told BBC Sport.

"I was trying to imitate players - like you do when you're a kid. Now I'm here winning matches. It's awesome."

Fery's mother, Olivia, is a French former Fed Cup player, who used to work for the LTA as a business development manager, while father Loic is an asset manager who owns Ligue 1 football club Lorient.

Many summer holidays were spent at the family's second home near La Rochelle on the west coast of France, while he also spent time with other relatives near Nice - an area packed with courts and academies - to hone his tennis talent.

Fery briefly represented France when he was about 10 before starting to play for Britain shortly after.

After that, he says, there was "no question" that he would go on to represent Britain in the professional ranks.

"By that point, there was really no decision to make. I was living here, I was training at the National Tennis Centre. I was in the system here," he said.

"I feel completely British now. Maybe 10 years ago if you'd asked me the question, it would be a bit different. Now I feel very British at heart."

Fery's progress has been limited by injuries - notably a bruised bone in his arm that is similar to the problem affecting Britain's former world number four Jack Draper.

His breakthrough at the top level was also delayed by deciding to pursue his studies.

As a teenager, Fery opted to go on a scholarship to Stanford - a prestigious institution that specialises in research - and delay his full-time transition to the ATP Tour.

The American collegiate system is a popular route for British players, with Cameron Norrie and Jacob Fearnley also treading that path.

As well as receiving what Fery described as a "world-class education", the nature of US college tennis - noise, trash-talking and team bonding - helped him prepare for the professional ranks.

It also further stoked an inner fire which Fery says he inherits from his parents and often displays in his matches.

At 5ft 9in tall (1.75m), Fery is shorter than many of his peers on the ATP Tour but what he lacks in stature is more than made up by heart and talent.

The grass particularly often suits tall 'servebots', who are able to thump down aces and unreturnable first shots, but Fery has other tools to hurt his opponents.

He has plenty of venom in his groundstrokes and his nimbleness around the court means he is able to spring forward to finish points with volleys at the net.

"Tennis is a sport where I think everyone, of all heights, can thrive in a certain way," Fery said.

"My returning is a strength, my movement, just general court craft."

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