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British tennis sensation Arthur Fery has swapped a planned Greek beach holiday for the biggest fortnight of his career, after an extraordinary run to the Wimbledon semi-finals captured the imagination of fans across Britain.<\/strong><\/p>\n The world No. 114 had expected to be relaxing in Greece with friends this week. Instead, the 23-year-old found himself battling through the Wimbledon draw, becoming the first men\u2019s wildcard in 25 years to reach the semi-finals<\/strong> at the All England Club.<\/p>\n Fery\u2019s remarkable journey came to an end on Friday when German star Alexander Zverev defeated him in straight sets, but not before the French-born Brit had become one of the stories of the tournament.<\/p>\n \u201cI was meant to be going to Greece with some friends. We\u2019ll see if that\u2019s still in the cards,\u201d Fery joked after his defeat.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n He also revealed that one of his friends had already travelled to Greece, assuming his Wimbledon campaign would end early.<\/p>\n \u201cOne of my friends went ahead of time, hoping I would lose,\u201d Fery said with a laugh. \u201cHe came back two days later and was supporting me.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Before this year\u2019s Championships, Fery had won just two Grand Slam matches<\/strong> in his career. Over the past two weeks, however, he defeated five opponents to reach the final four, earning widespread admiration from British tennis fans.<\/p>\n His incredible run attracted support from across the country, including a video message from England\u2019s FIFA World Cup squad, while both Queen Camilla<\/strong> and Catherine, Princess of Wales<\/strong>, watched him compete at Wimbledon.<\/p>\n Fery\u2019s breakthrough is expected to propel him into the world\u2019s top 40<\/strong>, opening the door to direct entry into ATP Tour events over the coming year.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s going to change things, for sure,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m going to be able to play tour events for at least a full year. It will be a challenge dealing with the expectations, but I\u2019m already looking forward to it.\u201d<\/p>\n The Brit also said he plans to take a short break before beginning the North American hard-court season, which is expected to culminate in his first appearance in the main draw of the US Open<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Although his long-awaited Greek getaway has been postponed, Fery now has another reason to celebrate.<\/p>\n His run to the Wimbledon semi-finals earned him \u00a3900,000 (around \u20ac1.05 million)<\/strong> in prize money\u2014meaning that when he eventually heads to Greece, the holiday may be even more memorable.<\/p>\n Fery may have missed the beaches of Greece this July, but after announcing himself on one of tennis\u2019s biggest stages, it\u2019s safe to say the sacrifice was worth it.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n\n
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A Wimbledon fairytale<\/h2>\n
Ranking set to soar<\/h2>\n
Greece can wait<\/h2>\n