Princess Kate has led the royal applause for British tennis sensation Arthur Fery after the 23-year-old produced one of the most remarkable Wimbledon stories in years, powering into the semi-finals as a wildcard and sending home fans into celebration.
The Princess of Wales, a lifelong tennis fan and patron of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, praised Fery’s extraordinary run after he defeated No9 seed Flavio Cobolli in straight sets on Centre Court. In a message shared on X, Catherine described his achievement as fantastic and said it had inspired many, signing off with a tennis ball emoji and her initial, C.
Arthur Fery falls to the floor as he celebrates winning match point to see off Flavio Cobolli
Taking to X, Princess Catherine paid tribute to the ‘wonderful day at Wimbledon’. She is pictured here earlier in the week
She said: ‘Congratulations to Arthur Fery on becoming the first British wildcard to reach the Gentlemen’s Singles semi–finals in the Open Era’
Fery’s victory marked a historic breakthrough. The report said he became the first British wildcard to reach the Gentlemen’s Singles semi-finals in the Open Era, and the first wildcard to reach this stage at Wimbledon in 25 years. His reward is a daunting semi-final meeting with No2 seed Alexander Zverev, with either Jannik Sinner or Novak Djokovic potentially waiting in the final.
The day already had a royal feel before a ball was struck. Queen Camilla, attending Wimbledon with her sister Annabel Elliot, surprised Fery near the players’ entrance as he prepared for the biggest match of his career. The young player appeared to be tying his shoelaces when the Queen approached, prompting a startled but delighted greeting before he headed out to Centre Court.
Arthur Fery was given a surprise greeting by the Queen as he prepared to enter Centre Court for the biggest match of his career
The Queen was joined by her sister, right, in the Royal Box for Day Ten of Wimbledon, alongside The All England Lawn Tennis Club Chair Deborah Jevans
Fery has now won five matches this fortnight, having won just one match at Wimbledon previously
He raised a fist to the crowd to salute his victory as the British wildcard reached the semi–finals
After the match, Fery revealed that Camilla had also been waiting for him at the end and had offered a simple but powerful message: congratulations and keep going. He said it was a special honour to play in front of the Queen, as well as tennis legends and a packed crowd roaring him through one of the biggest days of his life.
The emotional weight of the moment was clear when Fery fell to the grass after match point, then raised his fist to salute a crowd that had watched a local Wimbledon dream turn into a national sporting moment. Barely known outside British tennis circles before this summer, he had only a handful of Tour-level wins before the grass season began. Now, he has become one of the stories of the Championships.
His rise has carried an extra layer of romance because of his connection to the area. Fery grew up close to the All England Club, and his run has been described as the kind of Wimbledon fairytale that fans live for: a young British wildcard, a Centre Court surge, royal encouragement and the chance to reach the final on his birthday.
The Princess of Wales’s message also underlined her deep affection for the tournament. Catherine had already been spotted soaking up the action earlier in the Championships, choosing to watch matches beyond the traditional Royal Box and speaking warmly about her own Three Peaks Challenge during a Wimbledon conversation with Tim Henman.
For Fery, the next task is enormous. Zverev represents a major step up, and the pressure around the last British man standing will only grow. But after beating Cobolli and receiving backing from both Princess Kate and Queen Camilla, the Wimbledon wildcard now carries something even more powerful than momentum: belief.
Whether his dream run ends in the semi-final or continues into a birthday final, Arthur Fery has already written himself into Wimbledon history. And with the royals cheering, the crowd roaring and the nation watching, Centre Court suddenly has a new British hero.
