Wimbledon 2026: Arthur Fery faces Zizou Bergs in third round as sole Briton left in singles

Arthur Fery is probably sick of people mentioning his height.

At 5ft 9in, the British number three is shorter than many of his peers on the ATP Tour.

The Wimbledon grass often suits ‘servebots’ – tall players who send down flurries of aces and unreturnable first serves. Fery does not fall into that category.

But the 23-year-old has shown he has other tools to hurt opponents and plans to use them against Zizou Bergs, a 6ft 1in Belgian, when they meet on Saturday for a place in the fourth round.

The world number 114 is carrying British hopes at the All England Club after becoming the sole home player to reach the third round of the singles.

“Arthur has to be an exceptional mover – he’s got a very good first serve, but he’s not going to get as many cheap points by hitting people off the court,” said Alex Ward, a men’s national coach with the Lawn Tennis Association who has been guiding Fery.

“He’s had to have an all-round game, been able to come to the net, defend, attack, use variation.

“In general, if you are on the shorter side, you have to be better at the skill side, and fortunately, he is.”

Fery has plenty of venom in his groundstrokes and his nimbleness means he is able to spring forward to finish points with volleys at the net.

The way Fery carries himself around the court is also notable, and Ward believes it is one of his biggest strengths.

“He believes, not in an arrogant way, he can beat the players he’s playing here,” said Ward.

“When you talk to him, and when we speak about matches or opponents, I get a real true feeling that he believes he can win matches.

“That’s a massive thing to have, and it’s a tough thing to be taught.”