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Alexander Zverev has reached his first Wimbledon final after ending British wildcard Arthur Fery’s impressive run with a commanding semi-final victory on Centre Court.
The French Open champion defeated Fery 7-6 (7/0), 6-2, 6-4 on Friday to set up a title clash against either defending champion Jannik Sinner or seven-time Wimbledon winner Novak Djokovic.
Zverev, the second seed, praised the atmosphere inside Centre Court despite the overwhelming support for his British opponent.
“It’s amazing,” Zverev said. “I know that 99.9 percent of the stadium was wanting Arthur to win, but it was still such an incredible atmosphere.”
The victory marks a significant milestone in the German’s career, making him the first German man to reach the Wimbledon final since Boris Becker in 1995. Zverev is now one win away from ending Germany’s 35-year wait for a men’s Wimbledon champion, with Michael Stich the last German to lift the trophy in 1991.
The 29-year-old has enjoyed a remarkable turnaround at the All England Club after struggling in previous appearances. Before this tournament, Zverev had never gone beyond the fourth round in nine Wimbledon campaigns.
“This Grand Slam has always been the one I struggled with the most and all of a sudden I’m in the Wimbledon final. I’m incredibly happy,” he said.
“But we have one more match to go on Sunday and that is what the focus is on.”
The German has dropped only two sets throughout the tournament and will now face a major challenge in the final against either Sinner or Djokovic.
Zverev has struggled against world number one Sinner, losing their last nine meetings, including the 2025 Australian Open final. Against Djokovic, he has managed only one Grand Slam victory in five encounters.
“I hope I can play a junior, that would be great,” Zverev joked when asked about his preferred opponent.
“Whether it’s the defending champion or someone who has won here 48 times like Novak Djokovic, it’s not going to be easy. But I have to trust myself and believe I can win.”
Meanwhile, Fery’s historic Wimbledon campaign came to an end despite him becoming the first wildcard men’s semi-finalist at the tournament since Goran Ivanisevic 25 years ago.
The 22-year-old’s run will still see him rise from 114th to 36th in the ATP rankings, securing his place among tennis’ biggest tournaments.
Zverev paid tribute to the young Briton after the match, predicting a bright future ahead.
“I have to give credit to Arthur, an unbelievable player. He is going to have great results, this was just the beginning for him,” Zverev said.
The German will now turn his attention to Sunday’s final, where he will attempt to claim his second Grand Slam title and complete another historic chapter in his career.
