Millions of tennis supporters could miss British wildcard Arthur Fery’s landmark Wimbledon semi-final today after the match was shifted to an earlier slot, preventing a clash with the BBC’s World Cup programming.
Fery’s meeting with Alexander Zverev has been placed first on Centre Court, with play due to begin at 1.30pm on Friday instead of taking the second slot, which typically starts at around 5pm.
The scheduling decision has prompted a major backlash, with many British fans expected to be at work when the match gets under way.
It comes as Wimbledon’s famous Henman Hill — also known over the years as Murray Mound and Rusedski Ridge — was informally rechristened “Arthur’s Seat” by supporters ahead of the biggest match of Fery’s career.
However, with the contest set to be shown on BBC One in the early afternoon, millions may miss large parts of the action, if not the entire match, after Wimbledon opted not to place it in the more accessible early-evening window.
The British Lawn Tennis Association has long cited encouraging children to take up the sport as one of its key aims, but pupils in state schools across the country are still likely to be in lessons when Fery steps onto court.
The BBC declined to comment on suggestions it had requested that Fery’s semi-final open the Centre Court schedule because of Spain’s World Cup match against Belgium at 8pm. The broadcaster does, however, have the ability to make such a request to the All England Club.
The row has also fuelled claims that the semi-finalists in the opposite half of the draw, Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic, have been handed an advantage after receiving two full days of rest, while Fery has had only one.
The Sinner-Djokovic semi-final will be played in the evening, a slot considered more attractive for global television audiences, while also avoiding a clash with the BBC’s coverage of the World Cup quarter-final.
One irate Fery fan said: ‘A British player in the semi-finals of Wimbledon and they put Arthur Fery on at 1.30pm when lots of British tennis fans are still at work. Only in Great Britain.’
Another wrote: ‘This is total bulls**t. Sinner and Djokovic last played on Tuesday. How do you schedule Fery and Zverev, who played yesterday, to go on before them?’
Arthur Fery is in the semi-finals at Wimbledon today but millions will be at work and school because it starts at 1.30pm
Fery will play for a spot in Sunday’s Wimbledon final as he takes on number two seed Alexander Zverev on Centre Court.
Fery, the world number 114, won plaudits from the Princess of Wales and Sir Keir Starmer after defeating Flavio Cobolli in straight sets on Centre Court in Wednesday’s quarter-final.
He will face a much sterner test when he plays Zverev, the reigning French Open champion, at 1.30pm on Friday as he aims to become just the second men’s wildcard to make a Grand Slam final.
Mobile network Giffgaff is letting its staff have the afternoon off to watch Arthur’s match.
CEO Kate Dohaney said: ‘Arthur Fery’s semi-final is a once in a lifetime moment we don’t want anyone to miss just because it’s happening in the middle of a working day.
‘At giffgaff, we believe in the underdogs and Fery’s grit, resilience, determination and joy are exactly what giffgaff stands for as a brand. So we’re giving everyone in the business time off to watch the match’.
She also said there should be a bank holiday if Fery wins Wimbledon.
Fery, who was born in Paris to French parents but grew up in Wimbledon and represents Great Britain, required a wildcard to play the tournament because he ranks outside the top 100.
Despite never having made it past the second round of a Grand Slam in four previous attempts, he is now the first wildcard to make a Wimbledon semi-final since Goran Ivanisevic – who went on to win the title – in 2001.
Before his unlikely victory against Cobolli, Fery upset former world number three Grigor Dimitrov in five sets on Centre Court in round four.
His run from wildcard to the semi-finals bears some similarity to the appalling 2004 film Wimbledon, but the 23-year-old has been inspired by more refined cinema this fortnight.
‘I’ve been watching The Godfather,’ he says.
‘Bit of a throwback, never watched it before. I’ll probably be on to The Godfather Part II tonight.’ Part III if he makes the final? ‘Yeah.’
Father Loic watches from his player box with his girlfriend, while his mother Olivia watches from the relative anonymity of the All England Club members’ area.
There have been attempts from the French media — without a men’s Grand Slam champion since 1983, without a semi-finalist since 2019 — to co-opt Fery as one of their own, and you can see why.
He was born in the Parisian suburbs to French parents: Olivia competed at the French Open and, as president of FC Lorient, Loic is an extremely well-known figure in France.
He grew up in Wimbledon and has been coming to the All England Club since he was a child. His mother joined as a temporary member a decade ago and became a full member last year.
This means Fery’s campaign has been run from home. He is sleeping in his old bedroom and eating his mum’s cooking.
‘I’ve had a day off every time between matches,’ he says. ‘That’s been nice, I’ve had some normal dinners at home with my family and relaxing in my own bed. It’s nice to chuck a movie on and not think about tennis.
‘I don’t cook but I help with the dishes and everything else — mum cooks!’
This all offers a clue as to how Fery has been able to take the events of this fortnight in his 5ft 9in stride.
The tennis tour lives its life out of hotels or apartments. A player such as Fery — world No 114 coming in — would rarely book for the whole tournament so would have the added stress of moving accommodation.
Henman Hill, also known as Murray Mound, is now being called Arthur’s Seat
As placid as Fery has been, there was the nagging issue of the nosebleeds.
‘I had a little procedure four days ago,’ Fery reveals. ‘Getting the blood vessels cauterised. A small thing, nothing major.’
Nasal cauterisation involves using heat to seal a broken blood vessel — it sounds unpleasant but Fery assures us ‘it didn’t hurt’.
‘That seemed to help,’ he said.
‘I’ve also tried to avoid wiping with a towel straight on the nose. I think that was also not helping, so just a combination of things, a bit of luck as well.’
Fery and his sealed left nostril will take on Alexander Zverev today, England’s footballers face Norway tomorrow in Miami, then the men’s final is on Sunday.
‘It’s going to be a great weekend,’ says Fery. ‘I think everyone’s been getting on the beers already. It’s great to see British sport doing so well.
‘England had a great win against Mexico. Let’s just keep it going.’
