Arthur Fery will get a rare lifetime honor at Wimbledon, even though he lost to Alexander Zverev.
Arthur Fery is getting a special lifetime perk at Wimbledon, even though he lost Saturday’s men’s singles semi-final to world number two Alexander Zverev.
The 23-year-old, who turns 24 on Monday, was beaten in straight sets 6-7, 2-6, 4-6 by the French Open champion Zverev.
But it’s been a fantastic breakthrough for Fery, who made it to the last four and will jump 78 places to 36th in the ATP rankings after Wimbledon ends on Sunday.
Before this tournament, he had only won two matches at Grand Slams and got in with a wildcard.
Fery had an incredible run, beating three-time Grand Slam semi-finalist Grigor Dimitrov in a five-set battle in round four, then winning in straight sets against French Open finalist Flavio Cobolli.
Zverev was too strong in the end, but he praised Fery warmly after the match.
“I have to give credit to Arthur – an unbelievable player,” he said. “He’s going to be around on this tour for 15-plus years. This is just the beginning of his career, and I think he’ll do amazing things in tennis.”
Fery joked that before his big run, he had planned a holiday to Greece during Wimbledon and would have to check with his friends if that was still possible.
“One of my friends went early hoping I’d lose so I could join him,” Fery laughed. “He came back two days later cheering for me!”
He added, “I definitely need some time off to process everything that’s happened. I’m mentally and physically tired. I’ll recharge and then give my best in every match I play.”
While Fery might not come back to Wimbledon next year, he’ll likely qualify automatically or get another wildcard thanks to his great performance.
But the best part? Because he made the semi-finals, Fery now has exclusive lifetime access to Wimbledon’s ‘Last 8 Club.’
This club is for players who reach the quarter-finals or better in singles, semi-finalists in doubles, and mixed doubles finalists.
Members can enter Wimbledon anytime they like, get free tickets to Centre Court and Court One, and attend an annual supper party, similar to the Masters Champions Dinner in golf.
From the men’s side, Fery and Germany’s Jan-Lennard Struff, who lost in the quarter-finals, have earned this special membership.
Among the women, first-time quarter-finalists Coco Gauff, Marta Kostyuk, Elise Mertens, Linda Noskova, and Naomi Osaka have joined the club this year.