Arthur Fery insists he is ready for the biggest challenge of his career after revealing he plans to lean on Emma Raducanu following his remarkable Wimbledon breakthrough.
The British star saw his dream run at the All England Club come to an end after a semi-final defeat to Alexander Zverev, but his exploits over the past fortnight have transformed both his ranking and his prospects on the ATP Tour.
Fery arrived at Wimbledon as a wildcard with little expectation of making a deep run.
Instead, he produced one of the stories of the Championships, winning five matches to become the first men’s singles wildcard to reach the Wimbledon semi-finals since Goran Ivanisevic’s famous run in 2001.
His sensational performances have catapulted him up to world No 36, securing direct entry into this summer’s US Open and putting him in line for prestigious ATP Masters 1000 tournaments during the North American hard-court swing, including events in Canada and Cincinnati.
The rapid rise has inevitably drawn comparisons with Raducanu, whose unforgettable 2021 breakthrough saw her reach the fourth round at Wimbledon before producing one of the greatest shocks in tennis history by winning the US Open as a qualifier.
Arthur Fery insists he is ready for the biggest challenge of his career after revealing he plans to lean on Emma Raducanu following his remarkable Wimbledon breakthrough
|
GETTY
Emma Raducanu previously won the US Open back in 2021 | PA
And Fery admits he hopes to learn from those who have already experienced the sudden transition from outsider to established tour player.
Asked whether he intends to speak to Raducanu following his Wimbledon exploits, Fery replied: “Yeah, yeah, yeah. Well, the first part of it is having good people around me who are going to help me in that transition.
Five things to know about Wimbledon | GB NEWS
“Yeah, Emma or guys like Vacherot. He’s done an incredible job. He went from 200 to winning a Masters. Suddenly it almost seemed like his base level switched overnight.
“Now, yeah, that seems like his everyday level. Guys like that, try and take from what they’ve done and do the same.”
Fery also highlighted the progress of Valentin Vacherot as another blueprint for success after the Monaco-born player surged up the rankings following his surprise Shanghai Masters triumph last season.
Vacherot has continued to establish himself among the elite this year, reaching the semi-finals in Monte Carlo, making the last 16 in Miami and enjoying his strongest Grand Slam campaigns with runs to the third round of the Australian Open and the second round at Roland Garros.
Arthur Fery’s Wimbledon run has come to an end following his defeat to Alexander Zverev
| REUTERS
Fery will now hope his own Wimbledon heroics prove to be the launchpad for a similar rise.
The 23-year-old had already shown encouraging signs before arriving at SW19, reaching the second round at two Grand Slams despite spending much of the season outside the world’s top 100.
His victories over established names including Grigor Dimitrov and Flavio Cobolli demonstrated he belongs on the biggest stages, while his new ranking should remove the pressure of battling through qualifying draws for many of the sport’s biggest tournaments.
Instead, Fery heads into the North American swing with momentum, confidence and the opportunity to establish himself among the leading names in men’s tennis.
After announcing himself to the British public at Wimbledon, the challenge now is proving this was only the beginning.