Fery

WILDCARD Arthur Fery captured the nation’s hearts when he powered his way to the Wimbledon semi-finals.

And now it seems he is looking for the perfect match off-court after signing up to celebrity dating app Raya.

Arthur has made sure his sporting prowess is front and centre on his profile and lists his job as a professional tennis player.

The British singles No1 also added a snap of him shaking hands with Kate Middleton on the day of the men’s final.

Arthur even offered to coach Prince George and Princess Charlotte, saying: “If you guys want to hit some balls any time, just let me know; that would be great.”

However, he has chosen to crop the Princess of Wales out of the frame on his dating profile.

THANKS FERY MUCH

Arthur Fery gets birthday gift from Princess Kate after Wimbledon run

FERY TRIP

Arthur Fery forced to cancel Greece holiday after fairytale Wimbledon run

A source said: “Arthur became a household name in a matter of days after reaching the Wimbledon semi-final as a wildcard entry.

“He is hoping to follow in the footsteps of Andy Murray, who made history when he won at Wimbledon in 2013 and 2016. Arthur has also become a heartthrob among Gen-Z and his professional sports background makes him a catch.”

On Raya, the tennis ace has included a snap of him waving to the crowd on Wimbledon’s Centre Court following his crushing semi-final defeat to Germany’s Alexander Zverev earlier this month.

He has also added a pic showing him in action on the famous grass court along with a post-match interview during the tournament.

Meanwhile, Arthur mentioned he was educated at prestigious Stanford University in the US, where he studied science, technology and society on a tennis scholarship.

The French-born player has linked his profile to We Are The People by Australian electronic music duo Empire of the Sun.

Speaking about his music taste, Arthur previously said: “I like [Aussie dance music act] Rufus Du Sol. It gets me in the zone.

“I like British rappers as well. Dave, Central Cee.”

Arthur was thought to be dating former schoolmate Honor Millard, a foodie influencer known online as The Honorable Chef.

But it definitely seems he is searching for a new doubles partner.

Who says love means nothing in tennis?

ANYONE KNOW A GOOD TYLA?

TYLA looks cappy-go-lucky, as she performs on US telly.

The South African singer wore the leopard-print hat with a metallic bralette for her set on NBC’s Today show at New York’s Rockefeller Plaza.

It came as she released her second studio album, A*Pop, which includes hot tracks That Girl and Kiss.

Meanwhile, fans can also snap up a £63 Tyla Bratz doll, decked out in the same dress Tyla wore to the Met Gala in New York in May.

Oh, and I’ve been told the singer will be making her way to London this week.

If you fancy a cuppa, Tyla, you know where to find us.

LIL BIT OF HAPPINESS FOR JESSIE

JESSIE J announced her split from former basketball player Chanan Colman this week – but hopefully a catch-up with her showbiz pal Lily Allen gave her reason to Smile.

The pair were seen putting the world to rights just days before Price Tag singer Jessie confirmed the end of her four-year relationship.

They were deep in conversation at London’s Royal Albert Hall, where they attended the Silver Clef Awards and were both recognised for their contribution to music.

Earlier in the night, Jessie told Biz on Sunday’s Emily that she is “living in the moment”.

The star, who has three-year-old son Sky with Chanan, announced she was cancer-free in May after her diagnosis with early-stage breast cancer last year.

She said: “There is always a risk of it coming back, so I want to celebrate every day that I don’t have it. I would love to learn how to ride a bike – I can’t, which is sad, isn’t it? I want to learn Danish and how to play the piano.

“Living in the moment and having a bit of perspective – my son is the core of my world so everything stems from him.”

Jessie also told how she loves touring, adding: “My touring family . . . get through whatever challenges we have.”

LOTTIE’S IN HER HOLISTIC PHASE

LOTTIE MOSS is following in the footsteps of Gwyneth Paltrow by setting up her own wellness brand.

I can reveal that the younger sister of supermodel Kate Moss has set up a holistic community that will offer sound baths, yoga and breathwork events.

US actress Gwynnie has made millions from her wellness and lifestyle brand Goop, which she set up in 2008.

I am told Lottie has also taken inspiration from actress Pamela Anderson and wants to “strip back” her image after she started modelling at 16.

The brand – Phase II – has recently set up an Instagram page and promises, “a wellness concept for discovering the next phase of your life”.

A source said: “Lottie wants to create a community that has wellness at the core.

“She wants it to be accessible for everyone and wants to help people find balance in their life. A lot of wellness challenges set unrealistic expectations and that is what Lottie wants to avoid.

“Her main message is that she wants people to have fun and go out but also enjoy yoga on the weekend.

“It does not need to be one or the other.”

It comes after her sister Kate closed down her wellness and beauty brand Cosmoss last June after three years.

It sold products including a £125 Sacred Mist perfume and £95 pots of face cream.

Lottie, who is currently dating art dealer Themy Kalaitzis, has previously opened up about her battle with addiction and how the toxic culture of the modelling industry affected her mental health.

Sounds like she is stepping into this next chapter of her life with a yoga mat in hand.

IT’S ALL CHA-CHA-CHANGE

STRICTLY Come Dancing bosses have unveiled the five new professional dancers that will be hitting the dancefloor this autumn.

Ukranian dancer Aleksandra Isaeva is ranked in the world’s top 21 Latin dancers.

She has been dubbed the new Nadiya Bychkova as the blonde pair both hail from the same country.

Speaking about her new BBC role, Aleksandra said: “I’ve been living and breathing dance for as long as I can remember, so joining the Strictly family is a true honour.”

She will be joined by her Italian dancer partner Cristian Priori, who has revealed that he is “excited to begin this new chapter”.

South African Latin Champion Lethabo Monametsi – who has been on stage with Diana Ross and composer Hans Zimmer – also joins the line-up after starring on The Masked Singer SA.

And Canadian champ Mark Karmalita and Bournemouth-born Maddie Ingoldsby will make their debut on the show this September, too.

I bet they can’t wait to hit the ballroom in their sequins.

PRICE OF FAME FOR PRINCESS

KATIE PRICE’s love life has been nothing short of a soap opera.

But that has not stopped the former glamour model – who, in January, married conman Lee Andrews ten days after she met him in Dubai – from giving her kids some dating advice.

Katie stars on ITV2 series The Princess Diaries alongside her daughter Princess and son Junior who she shares with her ex-husband, Peter Andre.

In scenes set to air, Katie says: “When you are in the public eye and you meet someone and want a relationship with them, you’re so proud to be with them but try to keep it as private as you can for as long as you can.

“Because there will be a point where someone will get a picture or something like that and I find that hard.”

Princess added: “If I was seeing someone, I would want to make sure it was a long-term thing before I make it known.

“My mum’s love life has been all over everywhere and yeah, I probably wouldn’t want mine to be like that.”

The third series of The Princess Diaries airs is due to air on July 28.

RACHEL BAGS GIFT FOR TOUR

RACHEL CHINOURIRI has revealed that Sabrina Carpenter bought her a designer handbag to say thanks for joining her on the road.

The British singer-songwriter supported the Manchild hitmaker on the UK and European leg of her Short n’ Sweet Tour last year.

Speaking to Biz on Sunday’s Emily at the Silver Clef Awards, Rachel said: “She did get me a gift. I got her one then she got me one.”

Rachel remained tight-lipped on the brand but said: “She got me a handbag. It was on the wishlist. It was so iconic.”

She admitted: “I haven’t used it yet and it is perched on the side because I don’t want anything to happen to it.”

We all need a friend like Sabrina . . . 

MAYAN GOLD

MAYA JAMA looks a gem – as she reveals her newly golden hair.

The Love Island host posted the shot of her highlights ahead of the dating show’s grand final in Majorca tomorrow night.

She showed off her figure in a white tank top and snakeskin trousers, and playfully teased in the caption: “Who is she.”

The winning couple of the ITV2 dating show will get £50,000 – but we reckon Maya looks a million dollars.

HAIR’S TO YOU, LORENZO

LOVE ISLAND’S Lorenzo Alessi has become the stand-out star of this year’s ITV series.

The businessman, who has Italian and Turkish-Cypriot heritage, has already been inundated with offers from talent agencies – and he hasn’t even left the villa in Majorca yet.

I hear that agents are eyeing up Lorenzo, right, to attend Milan and London Fashion Week in September.

It comes after former UK Vogue editor Edward Enniful hinted he could be the next Molly-Mae Hague.

A source said: “Lorenzo is going to face a bidding war when he comes out of the villa.

“He has a great head of hair, which would make him perfect for a men’s haircare brand, and he ticks a lot of boxes in the style stakes.”

Lorenzo is also the favourite to take home the £50,000 prize in tomorrow night’s Love Island final, following his romance with Polish-born insurance broker Julia Majchrzak.

Sounds like he will be a winner whatever the outcome.

LONDON — A local boy sleeps in his own bed, plays in front of a king and queen and makes a Cinderella run to the Wimbledon semifinals. Sounds like a Hollywood script that might never see the silver screen.

But it’s no fairy tale — it’s Arthur Fery’s out-of-nowhere performance over the last 10 days.

Fery, a virtually unknown British wild card with a triple-digit ranking, has become the emotional heartbeat of Wimbledon while legitimately diverting some national attention from England’s World Cup quest.

The royal treatment at his matches across the All England Club has come in more ways than one.

Fery, who grew up five minutes from Wimbledon and is staying at home during the tournament, first played before grass-court king Roger Federer, Wimbledon’s eight-time singles champion, during Monday’s fourth-round victory. Two days later, he beat No. 9 seed and French Open runner-up Flavio Cobolli of Italy in the quarterfinals 6-4, 7-6 (4), 6-0 in front of Queen Camilla.

Ranked 114th, Fery had never reached the semifinals of an ATP Tour event, let alone a major, before his brief chat with the queen following the match.

“She just said, ‘Congratulations, keep going,’” 23-year-old Fery told reporters later. “I told her it was my birthday on Sunday, so it would be great to play the Wimbledon final on my birthday.”

That’s still a match away. To get there, Fery will have to get past one of the hottest players on tour: No. 2 seed Alexander Zverev, who is fresh off his first Grand Slam title at the French Open. Looming on the other side of the draw is a highly anticipated showdown between defending champion Jannik Sinner against 24-time major winner Novak Djokovic.

If Fery can continue his magical run to the end, he would become the first British wild card to win a Wimbledon title.

Arthur Fery reacts after defeating Flavio Cobolli in the Wimbledon quarterfinals on Wednesday.

(Maja Smiejkowska / Associated Press)

Born in France, Fery’s family moved to Wimbledon when he was an infant. His mother played professional tennis. He was a top British junior but chose to sharpen his game for three years in the U.S. collegiate system at Stanford, as many of his compatriots have done.

“I came out with a lot of hunger coming out of that, and I was ready to attack the pro circuit,” Fery said.

After struggling with bone bruising in his arm that limited him to playing mostly on the lower-tier Challenger circuit in recent years, Fery is finally healthy and playing consistently.

His path to the last four in London has been a masterclass in clutch come-from-behind performances. The Brit has stared down near-certain elimination in multiple matches, repeatedly breaking his opponents’ momentum with Houdini-like on-court acts.

At 5-foot-9, Fery possesses a skill set perfectly suited for low-bounding grass.

His compact strokes, low center of gravity, and elite movement allow him to hug the baseline, take time away from opponents, and confidently execute delicate volleys at the net, according to ESPN analyst Chris Eubanks.

“He defends well,” said Eubanks, a 2023 Wimbledon quarterfinalist. “He can scrap. He can claw. He can dig his way back into points. And when he ventures forward, he’s very, very comfortable at the net. This is a picture-perfect example of someone whose game is built for the surface.”

Still, it’s hard to fathom the multitude of milestones for Fery, who briefly reached the No. 1 ranking in college and earned 2023 Pac-12 Singles Player of the Year honors before leaving early to pursue a pro career.

He arrived at Wimbledon with just one main-draw victory at a major, a losing record as a professional, and only one previous ATP quarterfinal, at Queen’s Club last month. He’s now 11-8, won his first two five-set matches, and is the first British wild card to reach the Wimbledon men’s semifinals in the Open Era. The only other men’s wild-card semifinalist was Goran Ivanisevic, who won the title as a wild card in 2001.

Fery, who started the season ranked No. 185 and will climb to at least No. 36 after the tournament, said there were a “lot of first times” as he reflected on his unprecedented run. “First five-setter, longest match that I’ve ever played, first time breaking into the top 100, first second week in a slam, all at home, five minutes from where I grew up. It’s a great story for me,” he said.

The gap with his fellow semifinalists is understandably massive.

Entering Wimbledon, Djokovic, Sinner and Zverev’s combined records include 29 Grand Slam titles, 2,088 match wins and 155 tour-level titles. Fery was 6-8 in tour-level matches with zero titles.

But he has singlehandedly lifted the tournament for locals. With top hopes Jack Draper and Emma Raducanu withdrawing before the tournament and the rest of Britain’s singles prospects falling one by one — 18 men and women were eliminated by the third round — Fery became the nation’s last knight standing.

If his first name inevitably evokes Arthurian legend, Fery’s march through the draw gave Britain reason to believe again. No sword, no Round Table, just world-class shot-making, a lion’s heart and a Centre Court crowd thrilled to rally behind him.

“This is really quite something to see on home soil,” said Russell Fuller, the BBC’s tennis correspondent, who compared it with Raducanu’s stunning U.S. Open win in 2021 as a qualifier.

Fery earned every bit of it.

In the first round against Damir Dzumhur, Fery dropped the opening set and trailed by a break in the second before surging back. Against Zizou Bergs in the third round, he faced a 4-1 deficit with a double break in the fourth set, and again fell behind 4-1 in the fifth, before somehow surviving.

Then, stepping onto Centre Court for the first time against former top-10 stalwart Grigor Dimitrov of Bulgaria in the fourth round, Fery clawed out of a 2-sets-to-1 hole and a break down in the fourth set to clinch the victory in a fifth-set tiebreak.

“He carries himself with humility, but he’s a fierce competitor, and he’s got a ton of belief in himself,” said Stanford men’s coach and former top-60 player Paul Goldstein, who flew to England Tuesday to see his former charge compete against Cobolli.

While Fery attempts to outmaneuver Zverev on Friday, the other semifinal features a 2025 Wimbledon semifinal rematch between seven-time Wimbledon winner Djokovic and top-ranked Sinner, who defeated the Serb in straight sets on his way to the title. It’s also their second Grand Slam semifinal meeting in 2026. At January’s Australian Open on hard courts, Djokovic bested 24-year-old Sinner in five sets before falling to now-injured Carlos Alcaraz in the Melbourne final.

Arthur Fery hits a return during his Wimbledon quarterfinal win over Flavio Cobolli on Wednesday.

(Clive Brunskill / Getty Images)

Djokovic, 39, enters the match after surviving a grueling five-set, 5-hour-plus quarterfinal slugfest against No. 3 Félix Auger-Aliassime that concluded just minutes before Wimbledon’s 11 p.m. curfew. But the seventh-seeded Serb has a way of defying Father Time and he has had two days to recover on a surface where points are shorter and generally less taxing on the body.

Italy’s Sinner, who defeated Alcaraz in last year’s Wimbledon final, has been efficient if not at the level that saw him capture five consecutive titles before crashing out in the second round at the French Open. After a first-round scare here, the four-time Grand Slam champion has dominated opponents behind his improving serve, winning 80% of his first-serve points. He hasn’t dropped a set since the opening round. Sinner leads the head-to-head with Djokovic 6-5.

According to Eubanks, Djokovic must disrupt Sinner’s movement to break his rhythm, and take his chances.

“He’s got to play similar to how he played in Australia, where it was just all-out aggression,” Eubanks said.

For Sinner, he added: “His serve can be a neutralizing force for what Novak is going to try to do.”

On the other side of the ledger, Fery’s poise under pressure and deft use of the home crowd will be paramount to continue his surprise run against Germany’s Zverev, whom he called a “step up again” from his last five matches. Zverev, 29, is seeking his fifth major final and first at Wimbledon.

“I’m ready for it,” Fery said. “I have nothing to lose. I’m just going to go out there and … put my game on the court, do what I’ve done, believe in myself. We’ll see where that takes me.”

Home has never been closer to Centre Court. Nor has Arthur Fery ever been closer to tennis history.

Fery achieved his latest, most impressive win to date in a style at complete odds with the journey that had taken him there.

He dropped the opening set in his first two matches and then required match tie-breaks to overcome Zizou Bergs and Grigor Dimitrov in five-set thrillers.

Having twice been a set and a break down against Bergs in the third round – including going 4-1 down in the fifth set – he also had to take three medical timeouts after suffering a nosebleed.

Making his first appearance on Centre Court, he twice went a break down in a must-win fourth set against Dimitrov, before the 35-year-old Bulgarian’s own nerves appeared and Fery capitalised.

But, at two hours and 14 minutes, his match against Cobolli was his shortest of the tournament so far.

Fery has spent 16 hours and 20 minutes on court in total – his match against Bergs lasted four hours and 39 minutes alone – yet he showed no sign of fatigue against his Italian opponent.

Roared on throughout by a partisan crowd, Fery demonstrated unshakeable composure as he picked apart the below-par Cobolli, who lost June’s French Open final to Alexander Zverev in five sets and made the last eight at Wimbledon last year.

“What I’ve been so impressed with is Fery’s belief,” added former British number one Tim Henman.

“When you go out on Centre Court for the first time and you are a British player, you have the hopes and expectations of a lot of people on your shoulders.

“He has good tennis IQ, he is a phenomenal mover. The way he has handled the occasion is impeccable. When opportunities have been earned, he has taken them.

“For him to produce a performance like that against a Grand Slam finalist, given that the first two sets were so tight and such high quality, it was absolutely sensational.

“It will just go even further to enhance his inner belief that he can keep winning in this tournament.”

British wildcard Arthur Fery beat Zizou Bergs in a five-set thriller to reach the Wimbledon fourth round and keep home singles hopes alive – despite suffering three nosebleeds during the match.

Wildcard Fery recovered twice from falling a set and a break down to come through 2-6 7-5 2-6 7-6 (7-3) 7-6 (10-5) in front of a packed crowd on court 18.

Fery was outside the world’s top 100 at the start of the championships but played above his ranking to become sole home player to reach the singles third round.

After fighting back to beat Bosnia’s Damir Dzumhur and Finland’s Otto Virtanen in his first two matches, it seemed as though Fery had finally run out of steam against Belgium’s Bergs.

But the 23-year-old held his nerve and then rallied to become the first British wildcard to reach the Wimbledon fourth round since 1993.

“No words for it, honestly,” Fery said after throwing himself to the floor in celebration.

“I don’t know what is going on right now. It will take time to digest it.”

Fery will face Italy’s Matteo Berrettini or Grigor Dimitrov next.

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 may not be well-known outside of British tennis circles but sport is a huge part of his family life – his mother, Olivia, was a professional player, while father Loic owns Ligue 1 football club Lorient.

As a teenager, Fery opted to go on a scholarship to Stanford University in California and also played collegiate tennis.

He lost just two games in his opening-round win over compatriot Toby Samuel at Queen’s, before recording what he described as the “best result” of his career against veteran Frenchman Mannarino.

He and Cerundolo both made nervous starts, with numerous break point opportunities, but Fery broke to serve for the set at 5-4.

However, Cerundolo won the next three games and dominated the tie-break, with the only point Fery won in it coming from a double fault from his opponent.

Cerundolo broke to start the second set but took a painful hit at the net when Fery accidentally sent a volley straight into his throat.

The Argentine fell to the floor, with Fery hopping over the net to check on him – and the pair shared a wry smile as on the next point, Cerundolo came close to hitting Fery with a passing winner.

But from that moment on, Cerundolo’s serve disappeared, and Fery restored parity before breaking to serve for the set.

A lovely serve and volley from Fery to force the deciding set established the tone, and a horrible double fault from Cerundolo handed the Briton the early initiative.

Cerundolo’s experience showed, though, as he put enough pressure on his opponents’ forehand to first break back and then secure victory on Fery’s serve.