"It's definitely going to take time to get used to and to fully digest" - Arthur Fery ready to take the next step in tennis career following Wimbledon run

Arthur Fery's Wimbledon campaign may have come to an end to the hands of Alexander Zverev in a 7-6(0), 6-2, 6-4 defeat, but there are a huge amount of positives that he can take from it. He was excited to be able to participate in all the big tournaments coming up thanks to a huge ranking boost while sending out his thanks and gratitude for all his supporters who followed him in this magical journey.

Reminiscing on the recent Wimbledon run in his press conference, he was full of pride and delighted to have achieved what he has done. "Obviously it's been a great fortnight for me," he began. "Today was tough and, yeah, it's still a loss and it still hurts like a loss. But overall, it's been a great two weeks."

He had defeated Damir Dzumhur, Otto Virtanen, Zizou Bergs, Grigor Dimitrov and Flavio Cobolli in this remarkable run all the way to the final. As other British talents faltered at the first hurdle, the 23-year-old wildcard remained strong and battled all the way to the very latter stages, making a name for himself in the process.

As for the performance, he was not at his best against Zverev. Whether it was something to do with him or the calibre of his opponent, Fery was not so sure. "Today I felt good before the match, but for some reason I didn't completely feel as comfortable as I had on the other day," he admitted. "Partly because of the opponent and how he was playing, but I just didn't feel as comfortable or as at ease as I had previously."

He managed to push the German to a tiebreak in the first set, breaking back at one point. However, following a 7-0 drubbing he was on the back foot. "I mean, it's just another tennis match. There are a lot of ups and downs in every match. I didn't play a good break game and he was always putting constant pressure on me. I didn't get much rhythm because there weren't many rallies and the ball was coming back a little bit faster than the other days and faster than what I'm used to. I wasn't as sharp with my footwork or mentally."

This Wimbledon semi-final run has a lot of permutations. For a start, the ATP Rankings. Fery gained a stunning 78 positions over the past two weeks, breaking into the top 100 for the first time after being ranked 114th ahead of the tournament. Barrier after barrier was broken as he eventually ended up in 36th, on the cusp of being seeded for a Grand Slam event.

Qualifying and wildcards will no longer play on the mind of Fery, at least for another year, with his ranking position secured for a solid amount of time. He will be able to compete in all the Grand Slam, Masters 1000 and other ATP tournaments of his choosing. This is a huge chance for him to cement his spot among the top players in the world as he looks to continue rising, now the British number one.

"It's going to change things for sure," he stated. "I'm going to be able to play Tour events for at least a full year, hopefully longer. It's going to be important to see how I deal with that change and everything it brings in terms of expectations from myself, from the public and from everyone else. I'm already looking forward to that. It's going to be a challenge to deal with it all, but I'm conscious of it already, and that's the first step."

At the start of the year, he defeated Cobolli in the first round of the Australian Open. That was a huge landmark for him. While big at the time, this fortnight trumps that on so many levels as he tries and takes in this rapid rise. "I don't know yet. It's still very, very fresh and I don't even have my new ranking yet. It's definitely going to take time to get used to and to fully digest. Right now I'm just mentally and physically tired from the tournament, so I'm going to make sure I take enough time to recharge the batteries and then go again and do my best in every match I play.

"I feel like I've showcased my level here, but also over the past year since I came back from injury. I've played really high-level tennis. I don't know exactly what number I'd put on my level, but I definitely feel comfortable playing Grand Slam main draws and more."

With this sudden rise not just up the rankings, but into the mainstream media of tennis, he will most definitely be hunting for advice from fellow tennis players who have been through the same thing, most notably Emma Raducanu. "The first part of it is having good people around me who are going to help me through that transition," he confirmed. "Emma, or guys like Arthur Cazaux—he's done an incredible job. He went from around 200 in the rankings to winning a Masters event, and suddenly it almost seemed like his base level changed overnight. Now that just seems like his everyday level. I'll try to learn from what they've done and hopefully do the same."

Fery has climbed the order at a really good time. He will hope that the momentum will be firmly behind him heading into the brace of Masters 1000 events, Canadian Open and Cincinnati Open, before debuting in the US Open. First up, he needs some time away from the court.

"I was always planning on having a holiday after Wimbledon before the US swing, and I was actually meant to be coming back from holiday today. So that's obviously changed. I definitely need some time off to process everything that's happened over the past two weeks and have a break from tennis. It's been a good grass season, but a long one mentally. I'm glad I kept going in this tournament because every match was a new challenge. Now I'm going to take some time off and rest before heading to the US."

This was supposed to be a holiday in Greece with some friends, but that took a turn. "I was meant to be going to Greece with some friends. We'll see if that's still on the cards—I don't know." The journalist focused on the fact that they left him behind. "I think that's a leading question," Fery joked. "One of my friends actually went ahead, hoping I would lose so I could join him. But he came back two days later and supported me instead."

He outlined his plan when he makes the return to action. "I'm going to head to the US. I'm entered for the Montreal Masters 1000, although I haven't decided yet whether I'll play it," he acknowledged. "Then I'm planning to play Cincinnati and Winston-Salem before making my first main-draw appearance at the US Open."

So many opportunities have been opened up for him with so many tournaments he can now participate in. "As for tournaments I haven't played before, I'm really looking forward to competing in Asia," he commented. "I'll definitely play the Shanghai Masters, and hopefully Tokyo and Beijing before that. I'm also looking forward to going back to Australia—I love it there. I've already played the main draw, but I'm excited to return. And maybe Monte Carlo as well."

The whole time Fery has been receiving positive support and backing from the British tennis fans, as well as people close to him. "It's all been new to me over these past two weeks, having so much support, so many fans, so much encouragement on social media and, as you say, on Henman Hill—or whatever you want to call it. It's something I'm going to have to get used to if I keep playing well, which I hope I will. It's awesome. It pushes me to do better and give my best on court."

He had his parents and family always close by in his camp supporting him every step of the way along with his team. However, it was the fans that took his notice as he sent them a special message of gratitude. "Just thank you. I hope I can give back the energy that they give me. Sport is all about emotions. That's why people love it, and I hope I'm able to give them those emotions in return," he said.

Fery also received a video of support from the England football team. Despite being born in Paris to French parents, Fery has lived in England from a young age, coincidentally very near Wimbledon.

He was grateful for the message, sending it the other way with England set for a blockbuster quarter-final against Norway in the World Cup. "I saw it when I came off court. It was really nice to see that video from them. I'm returning the favour and wishing them luck. They're playing tomorrow, right? So, good luck to them."