Wimbledon 2024 has delivered one of its most breathtaking underdog stories in recent memory, as British wild card Arthur Fery has etched his name into Grand Slam folklore by storming into the men’s singles semifinals — a feat only one other unranked qualifier has pulled off at the All England Club in more than two decades.
Growing up just five minutes away from Wimbledon’s iconic grounds, the 23-year-old local hopeful has turned a childhood dream into reality, beating Italy’s ninth-seeded Flavio Cobolli in straight sets 6-4, 7-6(4), 6-0 in front of a raucous Centre Court crowd Wednesday. The stands were packed with cheering home fans, and the Royal Box even included Britain’s Queen Camilla, who got an early surprise meeting with both Fery and Cobolli in the player hallway moments before the match kicked off.
Fery’s run has already made history: he is only the second men’s singles wild card to reach the Wimbledon semifinals, following Goran Ivanisevic’s legendary championship run in 2001. The young Brit’s emotional victory had the crowd roaring from start to finish. After clinching the opening set, he earned a full standing ovation from the Centre Court crowd, and the cheer that followed his tiebreak win to seal the second set was so loud it carried across to No. 1 Court, where Alexander Zverev was competing against Taylor Fritz. Fery sealed the match with a blistering ace, then fell onto his back to soak in the moment, overwhelmed by the support.
“It gets better and better every match,” Fery told reporters in an on-court interview after the win. “I just can’t believe it. That last game, I felt emotions that I hadn’t experienced before in my life.”
Zverev, who wrapped up his own straight-sets 6-4, 6-4, 6-2 win over Fritz shortly after Fery’s victory, will now face the local favourite in the semifinals on Friday. Friday’s other men’s semifinal will be a blockbuster clash between seven-time Wimbledon champion Novak Djokovic and 2023 title holder Jannik Sinner.
The day also delivered historic milestones on the women’s side, as Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk booked her spot in her first ever Wimbledon semifinal with a dominant 6-3, 6-2 win over Italy’s Jasmine Paolini. The 24-year-old 12th seed, who also reached the French Open semifinals earlier this year, called the moment surreal after the win, recalling that she watched Roger Federer play on Centre Court as a spectator just nine years ago.
“I was flabbergasted by this entrance and everything inside,” Kostyuk said. “I was like, ‘wow,’ I need one day to recover from what I saw. I was on this court as a spectator once nine years ago watching Roger.” After Paolini misfired on second match point, Kostyuk dropped to her knees in celebration before spinning in a joyful pirouette for the crowd.
She will face 21-year-old Czech rising star Linda Noskova, who notched a 6-3, 7-5 win over Belgium’s Elise Mertens on No. 1 Court to claim her first ever Grand Slam semifinal spot. Noskova, who carried a 9-1 grass court record into Wimbledon after winning the Berlin Open, said she thrives under pressure when stakes are highest.
“I was a little bit nervous before the match,” Noskova admitted after the win. “Usually when it’s really, really important for me and I’m putting a little bit of pressure on myself, that’s when I play the best.”
Kostyuk and Noskova will compete for a spot in Saturday’s women’s singles final on Centre Court Thursday, following the first women’s semifinal between American Coco Gauff and Czech player Karolina Muchova. As the tournament enters its final stretch, Fery’s historic Cinderella run has already given British fans something massive to cheer for, with local supporters already poised to celebrate wildly if the local wild card can keep his fairy tale run going.