Arthur Fery, the British sensation who captured worldwide attention with his Cinderella run at Wimbledon, continued his remarkable summer 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 blend of confidence and composure, registering solid victories over American Cruz Hewitt and qualifier Mees Rottgering before edging past Aleksandar Kovacevic in a tightly contested three‑set quarter‑final. Fery’s path to the final was sealed when he faced Australian James Duckworth, a player he had already bested in Cincinnati just two weeks earlier. Duckworth was forced to retire due to injury with the scoreline standing at 6‑4, 1‑2 in Fery’s favour, handing the Briton a spot in the title showdown.
"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." He added, "I played well in the first set. 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." The young Brit’s ascent has been nothing short of meteoric.
Just eight weeks ago he was positioned outside the top 100, yet his fairy‑tale semi‑final appearance at Wimbledon earlier this summer propelled him into the spotlight and set the stage for a new career high that he is likely to achieve on Monday. The final will see Fery take on Peru’s rising star Ignacio Buse, who earned his place by defeating France’s Benjamin Bonzi 6‑2, 4‑6, 6‑1. Buse, currently ranked world No. 36, will be playing his second ATP Tour final and is eager to add another trophy to his résumé.
"It’s going to be another tough match," Fery admitted. "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 tasted significant success. 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 for the upcoming US Open, where he will meet American Marcos Giron in the opening round.
For Fery, the Winston‑Salem final serves as a crucial confidence boost ahead of his Grand Slam debut at the US Open, which begins on Sunday. He will open his main‑draw campaign against Italy’s world No.
14 Lorenzo Musetti, a formidable opponent who will test the Briton’s recent form and mental resilience. The US Open will be broadcast live on Sky Sports starting August 30, with additional streaming options available on NOW without a contract and via the Sky Sports app. Tennis fans can also look forward to the Laver Cup taking place at The O2 in London from September 25‑27, also shown on Sky Sports. Arthur Fery’s journey from an unheralded player outside the top 100 to a contender in both ATP 250 finals and Grand Slam events exemplifies the unpredictable and exhilarating nature of modern tennis.
His blend of powerful baseline play, tactical intelligence, and unflappable composure under pressure has endeared him to supporters worldwide. As he prepares for the final against Buse, the tennis community will be watching closely to see whether this rising Briton can convert his recent momentum into his first ATP title and further cement his status as one of the sport’s most promising young talents.