RismadarVoice Reporters
September 2, 2026
British tennis player Arthur Fery has been eliminated from the US Open after suffering a first-round defeat to Italian 13th seed Lorenzo Musetti.
Fery, who captured global attention with a surprise run to the Wimbledon semi-finals earlier this summer, was unable to reproduce that form in New York as Musetti secured a straight-set victory at Flushing Meadows.
The 24-year-old entered the tournament ranked 33rd in the world after his impressive Wimbledon campaign lifted him from 114th place in the rankings into the top 40. However, he missed out on a seeded position at the US Open and was drawn against the experienced Italian in the opening round.
Musetti, a US Open quarter-finalist last year, returned to Grand Slam action after missing the previous two major tournaments due to a thigh injury. He produced a composed performance to defeat Fery 6-3, 6-3, 7-5.
The match was delayed because of rain on the third day of the tournament before eventually taking place in hot and humid conditions at Flushing Meadows.
Fery arrived in New York with confidence after reaching his first ATP Tour final at the Winston-Salem Open, and he showed flashes of his attacking style on the Grandstand court.
The British number one continued his habit of wearing earplugs during changeovers, a routine he adopted during his memorable Wimbledon run to maintain concentration.
Despite displaying creativity, particularly at the net, Fery struggled to contain Musetti’s consistency and trademark one-handed backhand, which repeatedly created problems throughout the contest.
The Italian took control of the opening set after Fery surrendered his serve with consecutive double faults. Musetti then extended his advantage in the second set by converting his first break-point opportunity with a powerful backhand winner.
Fery attempted a comeback in the third set after breaking early to take a 2-0 lead, but Musetti responded immediately by winning four consecutive games and regaining control.
The Briton fought until the end, saving a match point and breaking back to level the set at 5-5, but Musetti eventually converted his third opportunity to seal victory and book a second-round meeting with Australian Dane Sweeny.
Although disappointed by the early exit, Fery’s season remains a breakthrough in his career. Twelve months ago, he was outside the world’s top 200 rankings, but his Wimbledon performance established him among the leading players on the ATP Tour.
He became the first British male wildcard in 25 years to reach the Wimbledon semi-finals and has already shown further progress by narrowly missing out on his first ATP title in North Carolina.
Fery’s exit leaves British hopes in the US Open men’s singles with Jacob Fearnley, Toby Samuel and Jan Choinski, who is scheduled to play later in the tournament.
