Updated

Updated · The Guardian · Jul 10

Arthur Fery Reveals Mid-Tournament Nose Procedure Before 23-Year-Old Faces Zverev in Wimbledon Semi-Final

Updated

Updated · The Guardian · Jul 10

Arthur Fery Reveals Mid-Tournament Nose Procedure Before 23-Year-Old Faces Zverev in Wimbledon Semi-Final

Q: After conquering nosebleeds and top seeds, can Britain's new number one win Wimbledon on his 24th birthday?

Yes — but it would still be a major upset. Arthur Fery has already done the improbable. The 23-year-old wildcard has become Britain’s new No. 1 by reaching the Wimbledon semi-finals, beating Grigor Dimitrov and then world No. 10 Flavio Cobolli, while also surviving repeated nosebleeds that were serious enough to require a mid-tournament cauterisation procedure. Since that treatment, the bleeding has stopped, and his level has risen. There are real reasons to think he can go one step further. Experts including Tim Henman, Todd Woodbridge and John McEnroe have praised his composure, tennis IQ and refusal to panic under pressure. His all-court game has translated well to grass, and the home setting — sleeping at his mother’s house, short trips to the All England Club, family dinners — appears to have kept him unusually calm for a player in his first major semi-final. But the obstacle is enormous. Fery must beat Alexander Zverev, the No. 2 seed and a heavy betting favourite, just to reach Sunday’s final, which falls on Fery’s 24th birthday. If he gets there, he would likely face another elite opponent such as Novak Djokovic or Jannik Sinner. That is a far steeper challenge than anything he has faced so far. So the answer is that he can win Wimbledon on his birthday, and his run has shown that possibility is no fantasy. Yet based on ranking, experience and the calibre of opponents still ahead, it remains unlikely rather than likely.

3 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Jul 10

23-year-old Arthur Fery said a nasal cauterisation four days ago stopped the nosebleeds that had interrupted his Wimbledon matches, leaving him clear for Friday’s semi-final against Alexander Zverev.
Those nosebleeds had forced pauses earlier in his run, but none appeared in his last two wins over Grigor Dimitrov and Flavio Cobolli after the procedure following his comeback victory against Zizou Bergs.
Fery said home comforts have also helped: the Wimbledon resident has been sleeping at his mother’s house, eating family dinners and unwinding with the Godfather films between matches.
Friday’s match brings the biggest test of his career against the second seed and reigning French Open champion, with a place in the final — on Fery’s 24th birthday — at stake.
The wildcard has already become only the second man to reach the Wimbledon semi-finals as a wildcard, capping a run built on consecutive five-set comeback wins.