Arthur Fery, a former Stanford University tennis player, has made a surprising run to the semifinals at Wimbledon. Fery, who was a two-time All-American at Stanford, honed his game playing three years of college tennis for the university.

Fery’s Path to Success

Fery’s coach at Stanford, Paul Goldstein, praised his emotional maturity and wisdom beyond his years. Goldstein said, “Arthur always displayed an emotional maturity and a wisdom beyond his years… When I worked with him at school, it always felt like it was as much of a peer-to-peer relationship as it was coach-to-student relationship with a 25-year age gap between us.”

Fery, who majored in science, technology, and society at Stanford, credits his time at the university with helping him mature and develop his game. He said, “It helped me mature, gave me a bit of time without too much pressure… Just develop personally more than tennis-wise.”

A New Era for College Tennis

Fery’s breakthrough comes at a time when several college tennis programs are being cut due to budget constraints. However, Fery’s success, along with 35 other players with college experience in this year’s Wimbledon singles, validates the importance of college tennis as a pathway to professional success.

Bob Bryan, a former Stanford player and current tennis commentator, said, “The level is off the charts. There’s definitely a place for college in between the juniors and pro tennis. I think anyone coming out of the juniors should go test their level collegiately and to see if they’re ready for the pros.”

Original reporting: KSAT Sports (San Antonio) — read the source article.