Arthur Fery has stated that he intends to stick to his successful approach as he gears up for the most crucial match of his career on Wednesday, choosing to follow the game plan that has taken him to the Wimbledon quarter-finals.
“I’m just going to stick to what I’ve been doing, just keep believing in myself, not letting go of matches, and we’ll see where that takes me,” Fery commented. “I’m not going to change anything now. It’s working, I feel good.”
After his impressive win against former world No. 3 Grigor Dimitrov on Centre Court in a fifth-set tie-break, Fery is set to challenge ninth-seeded Flavio Cobolli, one of the toughest players on the tour. With genuine confidence, Fery heads into this match, having previously bested Cobolli earlier this year.
In January, Fery secured a straight-sets victory over Cobolli, ranked No. 22 at the time, during the Australian Open qualifying rounds, marking a career-high win based on ranking. This earlier success bolsters his confidence as they prepare to meet again.
“It’s going to be a good match regardless. I’m expecting it to be very, very difficult and different to Australia. Completely different conditions. I’m sure he’s going to be at 100% of his capacities here, which maybe he wasn’t quite 100% in Australia. I played really well in Australia. Felt like I dominated the match. So we’ll use that experience for Wednesday.” he said. “It’s only been a year together, but it has been a long journey, regarding the injuries,”
For Cobolli, that previous match carries little weight due to his illness during the Australian Open, which affected his performance. However, his current form is significantly stronger than it was earlier this year. Since that defeat, Cobolli has achieved an impressive 10-1 record in Grand Slam competitions, culminating in his first Grand Slam final at the French Open last month, where he narrowly lost to Alexander Zverev in five sets. His recent straight-sets win over fifth seed Alex de Minaur showcases that the 24-year-old is playing the best tennis of his career.
Fery’s journey through tennis has demanded considerable patience, having traversed the collegiate tennis system at Stanford. His progress has been impeded by a recurring bone bruise injury in his arm, similar to the issue that caused Jack Draper to withdraw from Wimbledon just before the event. Even after defeating Cobolli in Australia, Fery dealt with his arm injury, resulting in nearly two months away from competition until March.
This injury has consumed much of Fery’s time since he began working with Dutch coach Jeroen Benard last April. “The injury was not just then, it was an injury that reoccurred on a monthly basis. Every time we started, he got hurt. We tried everything to get him healthy.” Benard reflected. “In potential, definitely. Yes. I have told my parents this, what was it, five days ago? I said I knew that the potential was there. That it comes out, that quick – that’s tough to answer. For me as well. You hope, always – you don’t expect – but you see that there are definitely a lot of skills and tools that this could happen. That it happens here is great.”
Despite these setbacks, Benard has consistently believed in Fery’s potential to achieve significant results. “He’s just a smart player,”
Throughout his Wimbledon campaign, Fery has proven that his defensive skills, precise timing, intelligence, and proficiency at the net enable him to challenge elite players like Cobolli. “He reads the game very well, better than most. He’s quick to see when someone’s off balance or maybe going to have to take a hand off the racket. You can see he’s straight into the net and he’s very accomplished at little drop volleys or really whatever volley he wants to play.” noted Jamie Murray. “Oh, he loves the pressure,”
Fery’s mental toughness has emerged as a defining characteristic during this tournament, as he has navigated consecutive fifth-set tie-breaks against Zizou Bergs and Dimitrov after trailing in both encounters. “That’s something for sure. That’s something that I see with him. “In Australia, I was more nervous to go on that big court than he was. In some sense, he really likes the magnitude of a match, a big stadium. It’s something that probably, I don’t know, he’s born with. I would, I cannot swear, but I would … my pants. All credit to him.” Benard asserted. “That’s something for sure. That’s something that I see with him.
“I like his swagger, his fortitude, the way he never gives up. [Against] Bergs he was done and dusted, double break, found a way to turn it around; again in the fifth, down a break and finds a way to win. Dimitrov, two to one down, down a break in the fourth; amazing resilience, amazing belief, just don’t think about it. Why shouldn’t he be in the semis? What a run. What a moment.”
Greg Rusedski also acknowledges Fery’s resilience as one of his key strengths. The former British No. 1 commented.
“I like his swagger, his fortitude, the way he never gives up. [Against] Bergs he was done and dusted, double break, found a way to turn it around; again in the fifth, down a break and finds a way to win. Dimitrov, two to one down, down a break in the fourth; amazing resilience, amazing belief, just don’t think about it. Why shouldn’t he be in the semis? What a run. What a moment.”
