Arthur Fery gets a special Wimbledon chance that most other tennis players don’t get, after his win against Grigor Dimitrov.
After surprising everyone by becoming a home hero, Arthur Fery has turned into a British star by making it to the Wimbledon quarter-finals—and he’s already enjoying some great rewards.
With injuries to Emma Raducanu and Jack Draper, hopes for a British winner at Wimbledon looked slim. Things got worse when players like Cameron Norrie lost in the first round, and by the second round, all British players were either out or had withdrawn.
Those early losses led some to call it the ‘worst day this century’ for British tennis, though the players still earned £80,000 each.
Except for 23-year-old wildcard Arthur Fery, who’s ranked 114th in the world. Never having gone past the second round in a Grand Slam before, Fery has come from behind in every match so far, surprising everyone by reaching the quarter-finals against number nine seed Flavio Cobolli.
Arthur has tennis in his blood. Growing up just a short walk from the All England Club, he spent his childhood summers at Wimbledon with his mom, a former pro player, and his millionaire dad.
Now, he’s making his own mark by joining a special group of players called the Last 8 Club—a tradition started in 1986 for anyone who reaches Wimbledon’s quarter-finals.
Members of this club enjoy some amazing perks, like free lifetime entry to Wimbledon, free tickets (including for center court and court one), access to a special hospitality suite, invitations to an annual supper party, happy hours with snacks during the tournament, big discounts on top London hotels, and two tickets to a London show—all with a plus one welcome.
By making the quarters, Fery joins fellow Brit Emma Raducanu in this elite club and becomes only the sixth British man to do so. The others are Cameron Norrie, Andy Murray, Tim Henman, Greg Rusedski, and Roger Taylor. As the first Wildcard to reach this milestone, Fery’s achievement stands out. Other British women in the club include Johanna Konta, Heather Watson, Laura Robson, and Elena Baltacha.
While Arthur will surely appreciate these special perks later on, right now, his focus is all on his next match on Wednesday, July 8.