His mother is a former tennis player, his multi-millionaire father bought a French top-flight football club – but the UK’s Wimbledon wildcard star Arthur Fery has sights set on sporting success of his own.
Born in a Paris suburb, he is the last Brit standing in the singles at the All-England Club after dramatically clinching a place in the men’s quarter-finals.
And the 23-year-old’s surprise success this summer seems all the more fitting as he grew up just around the corner from the prestigious grounds in south-west London.
Fans cheering him on – who last week included the Princess of Wales – might well be tempted by Wimbledon’s signature offering of strawberries and cream.
But more wide-ranging dishes are served up on the Instagram account of his former schoolmate Honor Millard.
She goes by the online name The Honorable Chef and has pictured Fery alongside her in shared public posts as recently as 2024, although it is not known whether they are still together.
Fery has now battled through consecutive comeback triumphs, the latest being against Grigor Dimitrov on Monday in Fery’s Centre Court debut – and despite suffering a series of on-court nosebleeds.
The player has acknowledged how much he suffers with them and vowed to address the problem ahead.
Arthur Fery, 23, clinched a place in the Wimbledon quarter-finals after beating Georgi Dimitrov
Arthur Fery (centre, right) is pictured in a photo shared on Instagram by his father Loïc when the youngster appeared at Wimbledon three years ago
Arthur |Fery has previously been pictured on former schoolmate Honor Millard’s Instagram
Next comes an SW19 quarter-final clash with ninth seed Flavio Cobolli on Wednesday.
Fery does have some encouraging previous with Cobolli, having beaten him at the Australian Open earlier this year.
Fery, born in the south-western Paris suburb of Sèvres, is one of three children to now separated parents Olivia and Loïc Féry.
Olivia, competing under her maiden name Gravereaux, was a tennis player who qualified for the 1991 French Open as a wild card – as her son has done now at WImbledon.
Her peak world ranking was 225, while her son last week reached a new height of 114 – sure to hurtle upwards following his subsequent All-England Club successes.
Despite being born in France, he grew up in London – and attended private, £11,940-per-term King’s College School in Wimbledon, a 20-minute walk from his current place of work, while living just a mile away from the tennis grounds.
His sporting talents on display at an early age would take him to the esteemed Stanford University in California, winning a tennis scholarship for a science, technology and society degree.
Fery’s mother is a member of the All England Club and the pair played together on its courts during his childhood.
Arthur Fery is seen celebrating at Wimbledon with his businessman father Loïc
The wild card star of this summer’s tournament had a tennis upbringing – he is pictured here competing at the 2020 French Open boy’s singles event at Roland Garros in Paris
He has previously said: ‘I was never really pushed to play tennis, but we lived close to a tennis club, and my mum was a professional player – she was very good – so that encouraged me to try out tennis.
‘She kind of helped me get going. We had a club just up the hill from Wimbledon, called Westside – like, 50m from our house.
‘They had hard courts and artificial clay. But there was a great coach over there and I played with my mum on the weekends. So that’s kind of how I started.’
Fery reached the semi-finals of the boys’ doubles there in 2019 – before making the third round of the main competition’s mixed doubles, alongside Tara Moore, two years later.
Fery’s father Loïc has made millions as a hedge fund manager and bought Ligue 1 football club Lorient in 2009, though sold it earlier this year while remaining president.
He is estimated to have a net worth of €320million (£273million).
After previously working in Asia, he returned to Europe in 2001 and settled in London, founding investment firm Chenavari in 2007. He and Olivia divorced in 2022.
While she competed as a tennis player for both France and Hong Kong, Arthur has committed to Britain – including a role in the country’s Davis Cup side last September.
This year has taken him to new levels, however, initially with getting through to the second round of the Australian Open in January.
Arthur Fery celebrates winning a point in his five-sets victory over Grigor Dimitrov on Monday
WIld card entrant Arthur Fery secured a quarter-finals place after winning in five sets
And he was granted a wild card entry to this summer’s Wimbledon, despite not qualifying through the official routes.
His displays since have made him only the fifth wild card entry to reach as far as the quarter-finals.
The only wild card entry to actually go on to win a Wimbledon title is Goran Ivanisevic, in 2001 – for now.
Fery’s latest victory came in five sets against former world No 3 Grigor Dimitrov, amid baking heat, on Centre Court on Monday.
His second consecutive fightback makes him the first British wild card to reach the quarter-finals at a grand slam in the open era.
The Wimbledon local was twice a break down in the fourth but roused himself with the unrelenting support of the Centre Court crowd with chants of ‘Let’s go, Arthur’ echoing across the packed stands.
Speaking of his comeback afterwards, he said: ‘I was really close to losing my last round as well, again today a break down in the fourth.
‘I was just trying to keep fighting, having a good attitude, committing to what I’m trying to do – playing really well with my back against the wall, paid off.’
Fery’s father Loïc has made millions as a hedge fund manager and bought Ligue 1 football club Lorient in 2009, though sold it earlier this year while remaining president
Arthur Fery’s father Loïc has been present at his surprise run to the Wimbledon quarter-finals
Father and son embraced following Arthur’s victory over former world number three Dimitrov
He added: ‘I couldn’t have imagined it a week ago. I would’ve been happy to win a few matches here.
‘Now winning four matches and being in the quarters, it’s a dream of mine.’
When Dimitrov’s final backhand hit the net after three hours and 55 minutes, Fery looked to his family and team in the stands in disbelief, mouthing: ‘What the f***?’
He said of the moment: ‘It was awesome. I had so many friends, so much family there as well as all my team and people that I really trust in and enjoy spending time with.
‘These matches are such roller coasters. I’m always looking up. They’re communicating to me. We’re all in the match together.
‘When I get over the line, and it’s the first time I’m on Centre Court, first time I’m trying to qualify for a quarter-final in a slam, it’s great to share those moments with them.’
Another interested spectator sat in the front row of the Royal Box, with Fery aware of the gaze of eight-time champion Roger Federer.
The British player said: ‘When I switched the TV on in the changing rooms for the first match, I saw Roger was in the Royal Box.
The Princess of Wales visited Wimbledon last Thursday, taking in games including Arthur Fery’s appearance on Court 18 – she is pictured with former British number one Tim Henman
Eight-time Wimbledon champion Roger Federer was among the guests in Wimbledon’s Royal Box watching Fery defeat Grigor Dimitrov on Centre Court on Monday
‘I didn’t know he was coming. I sent a message to my team saying, “Yeah, look, Roger’s in the box, I’m pretty tight”.
‘It’s incredible to be in that position where one of the greatest of all time is watching you, let alone watching me play a five-set match against Dimitrov on Centre Court at Wimbledon.’
The Princess of Wales, sitting alongside former British players Sir Andy Murray and Tim Henman, attended Wimbledon last Thursday.
Among the matches she watched was Fery’s Court 18 win over Finland’s Otto Virtane.
Arthur’s mother Olivia has a LinkedIn profile showing her as having worked as business development manager at the Lawn Tennis Association.
One of his siblings, sister Albane, is credited as an assistant product manager for watches at Christian Dior as well as being a keen cross-country runner.
His brother Maxime is a student at Imperial College London and presently working at Wimbledon as a runner, bringing racquets for players.
