Alexander Zverev’s fantastic summer continues. Just weeks after winning the first Grand Slam title of his career at the French Open, the German star has reached another major final and he defeated British wildcard Arthur Fery in straight sets to book his place in the Wimbledon 2026 championship match.
The second seed put together a composed display on Centre Court on Friday, defeating home favourite 7-6 (7-0), 6-2, 6-4 to end Fery's fairytale run at the All England Club.
Zverev now heads into his first-ever Wimbledon final, where he will face the defending champion Jannik Sinner, who was defeated in the second semi-final by Novak Djokovic.
After finally breaking his Grand Slam drought at Roland Garros last month, Zverev can now accomplish another historic feat. If he lifts the Wimbledon trophy on Sunday, he will be the first man in the Open Era (since 1968) to win his second Grand Slam title at the very next major after winning his first Slam.
Fery’s Dream Comes to an End
Arthur Fery came in the semi-final as one of the stories of the tournament.
Ranked World No. 114, the British wildcard grew up just five minutes from the All England Club and was hoping to become the first wildcard to reach the Wimbledon men’s singles final since Goran Ivanisevic’s unforgettable title run in 2001.
Fery, backed by a packed Centre Court crowd, showed flashes of brilliance, especially in the opening set. But Zverev’s experience under pressure proved too much to overcome.
The German dominated the first-set tiebreak when Fery opened with a costly double fault and cruised to a 7-0 win that turned around the momentum.
From there, Zverev never looked back.
Serve Becomes the Difference
Sitting at 6-foot-6 (1.98m), Zverev fired one thunderous serve after another and his serve speed was 139 mph (224 km/h) throughout the match.
Fery, 5-foot-9 (1.75m), served around 120 mph (193 km/h) and struggled to match the German's power from the baseline.
The Briton continued to fight with the backing of an enthusiastic home crowd that chanted his name between points.
At one point, Marijana Veljovic had to tell the audience to remain quiet during rallies.
"Ladies and gentlemen, do not react, if possible, until the end of the point."
Later she repeated the request.
"Once again, do not react during the rally. That's very disturbing for both players."
The crowd in Centre Court applauded.
Although Fery’s Wimbledon dream ended in the semi-finals, he got a standing ovation when he walked off the court and he thanked the fans who had supported him throughout his incredible run.
Historic Achievement for Germany
It is also a big milestone for German tennis. Zverev became the first German man to reach the Wimbledon final since Boris Becker in 1995, when the three-time Wimbledon champion finished runner-up to Pete Sampras.
The last German man to win the Wimbledon trophy is Michael Stich, who defeated Becker in the 1991 final.
After Zverev's victory, Becker congratulated his compatriot on social media.
"Glückwunsch Sascha!!!"
using Zverev's popular nickname.
One Match Away From More History
Zverev is now just one win away from completing one of the most remarkable stretches of his career.
All these years of reaching the final of a Grand Slam and still coming close to winning it will bring him huge joy, but he has become one of the sport’s biggest-ever winners. From Roland Garros he has found a new level of confidence and that has carried him all the way to his first Wimbledon final.
He is in the final against defending champion Jannik Sinner, who has won each of their last nine meetings. Zverev will feel he still has to fight for the title but is in a position to add the Wimbledon crown to his list of titles with momentum on his side and history behind him, with Zverev in all likelihood to add to his growing tally of honours.
