The first men’s semifinal at Wimbledon began with an immediate test of nerve as Alexander Zverev and Arthur Fery traded early breaks of serve on Centre Court. Zverev, the world number three and French Open champion, struck first to lead 3-1, but the British wildcard, roared on by a capacity crowd, broke back immediately and levelled at 3-3. The set remained on serve deep into its latter stages, with Zverev edging ahead 5-4 and forcing Fery to hold to stay in it. The early exchanges underscored the contrasting paths that brought both men to this stage.

Fery, ranked 114th, entered the tournament on a wildcard and has since become the second wildcard in Wimbledon history to reach the men’s semifinals. His run included a straight-sets dismissal of ninth seed Flavio Cobolli in the quarterfinals. British media have dubbed his progress a ‘Fery-tale’, a play on fairytale, noting that he grew up a five-minute walk from the All England Club and attended a school 1,500 metres away. His mother, Olivia, was a former professional tennis player; his father, Loïc, is president of Ligue 1 football club Lorient. Fery spent three years playing college tennis at Stanford University before turning professional, a path he says allowed him to mature.

Zverev, 29, entered the match as the clear favourite, having won his first Grand Slam title at Roland Garros last month and dispatched Taylor Fritz in the quarterfinals. German outlets reported his pre-match quip that Fery’s run was a ‘Fery-tale’, and he acknowledged that ‘99 percent’ of the 15,000 spectators would be against him. He contrasted the expected atmosphere favourably with the hostility he has faced in New York, Melbourne, and Paris when playing local opponents, describing British crowds as ‘always very fair’. The German’s serve and forehand have been formidable on grass, a surface on which he says he has finally found comfort after years of adjustment.

The winner will face either defending champion Jannik Sinner or seven-time title holder Novak Djokovic, who contest the second semifinal later on Centre Court. For Fery, victory would cap a rapid ascent: before this fortnight, he had won only four tour-level matches on grass and never advanced beyond the second round of a major. A win would also lift him from outside the top 100 into the world’s top 30. For Zverev, a first Wimbledon final would extend a season in which he has already claimed his maiden major and reasserted himself among the sport’s elite.