Arthur Fery Reaches First ATP Final as British No 1

Arthur Fery’s summer just keeps climbing.

The 24-year-old Briton reached his first ATP Tour final at the Winston-Salem Open on Friday, progressing when James Duckworth retired injured with Fery leading 6-4 2-1 in their semi-final.

It was not the finish the match deserved. Fery had edged a tight first set, striking cleanly off both wings and handling the Australian’s pace with authority. Duckworth, who had called for a medical timeout after that opening set, tried to push on, but three games into the second he signalled he could not continue.

The handshake at the net was brief but respectful. The contrast in emotions was stark.

Fery, though, is rewriting his own story at speed. He becomes the first Briton ever to reach the final of this ATP 250 event in North Carolina, another step in a breakout season that already includes a stunning run to the Wimbledon semi-finals in July.

Only eight weeks ago he was ranked outside the world’s top 100. Now he has surged to a career-high No 33, overtaking Cameron Norrie to become the new British No 1. The rise has been steep, and sudden, but it no longer feels like a fluke.

“I am really happy to be in the final,” Fery said on court. “Not the way I wanted it to end at all. I hope James will get well soon and rest up for next week. But I am very happy to be through.”

The numbers back up his mood. Fery has now turned his post-Wimbledon momentum into hard currency on the tour, stringing together wins on a surface and in conditions that often expose any hesitation. His game has held up.

Waiting for him in Saturday’s final is Ignacio Buse, the 22-year-old Peruvian who dismissed France’s Benjamin Bonzi 6-2 4-6 6-1 in the other semi-final. Buse, ranked No 36, carries his own wave of confidence into the contest, chasing a second title of the year after his breakthrough triumph over Tommy Paul at the ATP 500 in Hamburg in May.

It is a fresh, intriguing final: two young players, both ranked in the 30s, both building reputations, both sensing a clear opening for a title before the US Open begins.

For Fery, this maiden ATP final lands at the perfect time. The tour moves next to New York, where he will arrive not just as Britain’s leading man but as a dangerous floater in the draw. He missed out on a seeding by the narrowest of margins and has been handed a demanding opening assignment against Italian 13th seed Lorenzo Musetti at Flushing Meadows.

First, though, comes one more test in Winston-Salem. One more chance to turn this surge into silverware – and to walk into New York not just as a story of promise, but as a champion.