Wimbledon 2026: Comeback King Arthur Fery battles into fourth round for the first time
• 2 minute read
Arthur Fery has become the first British wild card to reach the last 16 at Wimbledon since 1993 after defeating Belgium’s Zizou Bergs in an epic five-set thriller on Court 18.
Fery fought back from a set down to reach the second week of a Grand Slam for the first time in his career - beating Lexus Eastbourne Open champion, Zizou Bergs 1-6, 7-5, 2-6, 7-6(3), 7-6(5) in four hours and 40 minutes – the longest match of The Championships so far.
The victory brings many first for the 23-year-old Wimbledon local. Not only has he reached the fourth round of a Grand Slam for the first time, but the result also sees him break into the world's top 100 for the first time in his career.
Fery has already risen to world No.91 in the live ATP rankings, with even more room to improve should he progress further.
The British No.3 was understandably emotional after the match, saying in his post-match interview, "There are no words for it, honestly. I don't know what's going on right now - it's going to take some time to really digest it. So many firsts have come from this match and I'm so, so happy."
Fery was on the brink of defeat on more than one occasion, fighting back from 4-1 down in both the fourth and fifth sets to triumph in a match-deciding tie-break.
While Fery was able to raise his level in the crucial moments, he also drew on the unwavering support of the rowdy home crowd on Court 18, who backed him every step of the way.
"Just trying to stay in the match and back myself as a competitor," he said when asked how he managed to overturn the deficit. "I was behind for pretty much the whole match, and I managed to fight back from two breaks down in the fourth and 4-1 down in the fifth.
"After over four hours, having that support is unbelievable. I requested to play on this court (Court 18) and the (All England) Club made it happen, which was awesome. I love this court. I had a really great time on it in the second round and, obviously, this tops that. The support has been incredible."
The win sees Fery become only the second British wild card to reach the fourth round of the men's singles at Wimbledon after Andrew Foster in 1993. He is also just the fifth British man this century to reach this stage of the tournament, following Tim Henman, Greg Rusedski, Andy Murray and Cam Norrie.
Next up, he will face a stern challenge in the form of either Grigor Dimitrov for a place in the quarter-finals.
The former Stanford University graduate has made a habit of coming back from a set down this week, having overturned a one-set deficit in his opening two matches against Damir Dzumhur and Otto Virtanen, and this match was no different.
Trailing by a set and a break against the Belgian, Fery raised his level to draw himself back on terms before Bergs handed over the second set with one of his 14 double faults.
Fery appeared to have the momentum heading into the third set, but the world No.37 found another gear, reeling off five consecutive games to move within touching distance of victory.
Bergs, who arrived at The Championships fresh from winning his first grass-court title in Eastbourne, looked to be in complete control when he opened up a double-break advantage and a 4-1 lead in the fourth set.
However, roared on by the home crowd, Fery sparked his comeback by battling back to level at 4-4 before forcing a tie-break, where a superb backhand volley kept his Wimbledon dream alive.
In a near mirror image of the fourth set, Fery once again recovered from 4-1 down in the decider to take us to a nail-biting 10-point tie-break.
Feeding off the energy of Court 18, he raced into an 8-2 lead before earning match point.
With a place in the fourth round on the line, Fery fired down a first serve that Bergs could only return into the net, prompting the Brit to collapse to the court in celebration as the home crowd chanted, "Here comes the Fery".
Fery is scheduled to play his fourth round match on Monday 6 July. Timings and court schedule to be confirmed.
