WIMBLEDON, July 9 (Reuters) — The chant started as a murmur. By the third-set tiebreak, it was a roar: “It’s coming home.” Arthur Féry, an 18-year-old British wildcard, had just broken Alexander Zverev’s serve for the first time. Centre Court shook. The world No. 3 stood frozen, racket dangling. Féry’s 19th birthday is July 11. He wants a final against Novak Djokovic as his gift. He got it.
Féry won 7-6(5), 4-6, 7-6(3), 6-4. The match lasted three hours and 42 minutes. Zverev hit 22 aces. Féry hit 15. The difference was break points: Féry converted 4 of 9. Zverev converted 2 of 7. “I just believed,” Féry said on court. “The crowd carried me.”
The Wildcard Gamble
Arthur Féry was unranked in the ATP Top 200 when Wimbledon granted him a wildcard in June. The decision drew criticism. British tennis had no male Grand Slam champion since Andy Murray in 2016. Féry had never played a senior main-draw match on grass. His junior record was solid: he reached the 2025 Wimbledon boys’ semifinal. But a semifinal against Zverev? Unthinkable.
Féry’s journey began in Surrey, England. His father, Loïc Féry, is a former tennis coach from France. His mother, Olivia, is a British teacher. According to a People.com profile , they introduced him to tennis at age 5. Loïc built a practice wall in their garden. Olivia drove him to tournaments across the UK. “We never pushed him,” Olivia told People. “He pushed himself.” The family’s financial sacrifices were significant. Loïc’s coaching income was modest. They used savings to fund Arthur’s junior circuit travel. “It was tight,” Loïc said. “But we believed.”
The Match That Changed Wimbledon
Zverev started dominant. His first-serve percentage was 72% in the opening set. Féry struggled to read the German’s flat groundstrokes. But the British teen’s baseline consistency forced errors. The first-set tiebreak was the turning point. At 5-5, Féry lunged for a volley that Zverev thought was a winner. The ball dropped just inside the line. Féry pumped his fist. The crowd erupted. “It’s coming home” began in the upper tier. It spread to every section of the arena.
Key stats from the match:
| Category | Arthur Féry | Alexander Zverev |
|---|---|---|
| Aces | 15 | 22 |
| Double faults | 3 | 5 |
| First-serve % | 68% | 73% |
| Break points converted | 4/9 | 2/7 |
| Winners | 43 | 51 |
| Unforced errors | 28 | 36 |
| Net points won | 18/22 | 14/20 |
The Djokovic Factor
Djokovic, 38, is chasing a record 25th Grand Slam. He defeated Carlos Alcaraz in the other semifinal 6-3, 6-4, 7-6(4). According to Reuters , Djokovic said: “Arthur is playing with no fear. That’s dangerous.” Féry’s youth and momentum are his weapons. Djokovic’s experience—and his 23-0 record in Grand Slam finals—is the counterweight.
The final is scheduled for July 11, Féry’s birthday. He will be the youngest men’s finalist at Wimbledon since Boris Becker in 1985. “I couldn’t ask for a better present,” Féry said. “But I want more.”
The ‘It’s Coming Home’ Phenomenon
The phrase, originally a football anthem from the 1996 European Championships, has been co-opted by tennis fans. Social media exploded after Féry’s win. #ItsComingHome trended on X with over 1.2 million posts in four hours. Fans waved Union Jacks. A viral video showed a group in the stands singing the chant between points. The BBC’s coverage called it “the soundtrack of a nation’s belief.”
For British tennis, the longing is acute. Since Murray’s 2016 title, no British man has reached a Grand Slam semifinal. Féry has ended that drought. He has also ended the skepticism. “It’s coming home” is no longer irony. It’s prophecy.
💡 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
- Q: Who is Arthur Féry?
- A: Arthur Féry is an 18-year-old British tennis wildcard from Surrey, England, who was unranked in the ATP Top 200 before Wimbledon. He won a wildcard in June and has never played a senior main-draw match on grass prior to this tournament.
- Q: How did Arthur Féry beat Alexander Zverev?
- A: Féry won 7-6(5), 4-6, 7-6(3), 6-4 in 3 hours and 42 minutes. He converted 4 of 9 break points while Zverev converted only 2 of 7, despite Zverev hitting 22 aces to Féry’s 15.
- Q: What is the significance of the chant ‘It’s coming home’ at Wimbledon?
- A: The chant ‘It’s coming home’ originated as a football anthem but was adopted by the Centre Court crowd as Féry broke Zverev’s serve in the third-set tiebreak, symbolizing the hope of a British male Grand Slam champion for the first time since Andy Murray in 2016.
- Q: What did Arthur Féry’s family sacrifice for his tennis career?
- A: Féry’s father Loïc, a former tennis coach from France, built a practice wall in their garden. His mother Olivia, a British teacher, drove him to tournaments across the UK. Loïc’s coaching income was modest, and they made significant financial sacrifices, never pushing him beyond his own self-motivation.
- Q: What is Arthur Féry’s next match after beating Zverev?
- A: Féry will face Novak Djokovic in the Wimbledon final, scheduled for July 11 — the day after his 19th birthday on July 11, which he called his ‘gift’ for making the final.
Extended Reading
References: Reuters match report (Fery seeks birthday date with destiny as Djokovic eyes more history ), People.com profile (All About Arthur Féry’s Parents ), BBC Sport analysis (Arthur Fery’s journey to Alexander Zverev semi-final ).