World No. 185 and British qualifier Arthur Fery caused a major upset at the Australian Open 2026 by defeating 20th seed Flavio Cobolli 7-6(1), 6-4, 6-1 on the tournament’s opening day. Fery had previously beaten Alexei Popyrin, also the 20th seed, at Wimbledon last year.
The 23-year-old Fery, a two-time ITA All-American from Stanford University, showcased a strong performance, winning six out of ten break points in a 2-hour and 12-minute match. Despite facing a stomach issue that required medical attention, Fery managed to secure a convincing victory.
Reflecting on his win, Fery expressed his excitement, stating, “Incredible experience here. My first time playing a main-draw Slam outside of Wimbledon and it didn’t disappoint on such a great court with great fans as well.” Fery now looks ahead to his next match against either Miomir Kecmanovic or Tomas Martin Etcheverry.
Flavio Cobolli, the defeated player, had been instrumental in Italy’s recent Davis Cup triumph, contributing significantly to the team’s success. Cobolli’s resilience was evident in his previous matches, including saving seven match points in a crucial encounter against Zizou Bergs of Belgium.
