Arthur Fery, the British sensation who captured the imagination of tennis fans with his fairy‑tale run at Wimbledon, kept his summer momentum alive by booking a place in the championship match of the Winston‑Salem Open on Friday. The 24‑year‑old has navigated the ATP 250 tournament with a series of confident performances, beginning with straight‑set victories over Australian qualifier Cruz Hewitt and Dutch hopeful Mees Röttgering. Those early wins set the tone for a quarter‑final clash with Serbia’s Aleksandar Kovacevic, which Fery won in three tightly contested sets, demonstrating both resilience and tactical acumen.
In the semi‑final, Fery faced fellow Australian James Duckworth, a player he had already bested in Cincinnati just two weeks earlier. The match progressed until Duckworth was forced to retire because of an injury while trailing 6‑4, 1‑2, handing Fery a passage to the final. "I’m really happy to be in the final," Fery said in the post‑match interview. "Obviously, not the way I wanted it to end at all.
I hope James is going to rest up and get ready for next week but very happy to be through." Fery reflected on his performance, noting that he felt in control of the first set despite Duckworth’s strong serving. "He was serving very well and tricky but I managed to get the break and from then on I thought I was playing good.
He was hindered at the start of the second set and I saw it. It's never easy playing someone who you know is physically challenged, but overall it felt good apart from that last forehand," he added. The British player’s journey this season has been nothing short of remarkable. Just eight weeks ago, Fery was ranked outside the top 100, and his Wimbledon semi‑final appearance earlier this summer propelled him into the spotlight.
The Winston‑Salem final will offer him the chance to claim his first ATP Tour final appearance and potentially secure a new career‑high ranking on Monday. The championship match is set for Saturday at 9 p.m.
BST and will be broadcast live on Sky Sports Tennis. Fery’s opponent will be Peru’s rising star Ignacio Buse, the world No. 36, who earned his spot by defeating Frenchman Benjamin Bonzi 6‑2, 4‑6, 6‑1 in a hard‑fought semi‑final. "It’s going to be another tough match," Fery acknowledged.
"Ignacio is playing really well. He’s a young guy who is breaking out so it’s going to be a great match. Definitely a good week for both of us and I’m going to sit down with my coach and see what I can do to beat him." Buse, only 22, has already shown he can compete at a high level. Earlier this year, in May, he captured his maiden tour‑level title at the ATP 500 event in Hamburg, a breakthrough that vaulted him from a ranking of No.
135 a year ago to a seeded position at the upcoming US Open. He will open the Grand Slam against American Marcos Giron in the first round. For Fery, the Winston‑Salem final serves as a crucial preparation ahead of his debut in the main draw of the US Open, which begins on Sunday. He will face a formidable opening‑round opponent in Italy’s world No.
14 Lorenzo Musetti, a player known for his elegant shot‑making and tactical versatility. The challenge will test Fery’s ability to translate his recent form into success on the biggest stages of the sport. The US Open will be streamed contract‑free on NOW, with live coverage on Sky Sports beginning August 30.
Tennis enthusiasts can also catch highlights, scores, and match analysis through the Sky Sports app, ensuring they stay connected to every twist and turn of the tournament. In addition to the Grand Slam action, fans can look forward to the Laver Cup at The O2 in London from September 25‑27, also broadcast live on Sky Sports. Arthur Fery’s ascent from an unheralded outsider to a contender in two major events within a single season underscores the depth of talent emerging from British tennis.
His performance in Winston‑Salem not only adds a potential title to his résumé but also builds invaluable confidence as he prepares to tackle the rigors of the US Open. Whether he lifts the Winston‑Salem trophy or falls short, the experience gained will be a cornerstone of his development, and the tennis world will be watching closely to see how far this promising young Brit can go.