Arthur Fery's US Open ends in first round

Britain's Arthur Fery says he knows what he must improve after a straight-sets defeat to Italian 13th seed Lorenzo Musetti in the first round of the US Open. The 24-year-old world number 33 was unable to replicate his surprise run to the Wimbledon semi-finals, losing 6-3, 6-3, 7-5 in his debut at Flushing Meadows.

Fery, who catapulted from 114th to inside the top 40 after his Wimbledon heroics, narrowly missed being seeded for the tournament. He drew a tough first-round opponent in Musetti, a former world number five and last year's US Open quarter-finalist who is rediscovering form after a thigh injury.

Fery identifies areas for improvement

Fery said after the match that he knows what he has to work on, stating his serve let him down, which was unusual for him. He added that playing guys at that level is tough and the margins are small. This was only Fery's second appearance at an overseas major, following his Australian Open debut in January.

The match was played in hot, humid conditions after rain delays. Fery, fresh from reaching his first ATP Tour final in Winston-Salem, wore ear plugs during changeovers to maintain focus, just as he did at Wimbledon.

Musetti's control proves decisive

Despite a promising start, Fery gifted the first break with back-to-back double faults. Musetti's trademark one-handed backhand repeatedly hurt the Briton, helping him take charge of the second set. Fery refused to lose hope after falling two sets down. He broke for a 2-0 lead in the third, threatening a fightback.

That revival was short-lived. Musetti produced an immediate response, winning four consecutive games as errors crept into Fery's game. Fery saved a match point on his serve and broke back to level at 5-5, but could not sustain the momentum. Musetti eventually seized his third match point, celebrating by pointing to his head and setting up a second-round meeting with Australian Dane Sweeny.

Fery said his opponent makes you really work for points and exposes weaknesses, but that he was getting better and better as the match went on. He added that he slowly started to get used to the conditions and play better tennis until a really bad game at 5-5 in the third set.

Looking ahead after a breakthrough year

While disappointed with the first-round exit, Fery said the experience was invaluable. It does not detract from a memorable 2026 for the player, who was outside the world's top 200 a year ago. He was the first men's wildcard in 25 years to reach the Wimbledon semi-finals.

Fery has few ranking points to defend on the upcoming Asian hard-court swing. Reaching his first ATP final last weekend pushed him closer to the top 30. He has no regrets about playing in North Carolina so close to the US Open, saying it's the life tennis players are used to, going from tournament to tournament every week.

His exit means British interest in the men's singles now rests with Jacob Fearnley, Toby Samuel, and Jan Choinski. Choinski's first-round match against Botic van de Zandschulp was postponed to Wednesday due to heavy rain. In the women's draw, Francesca Jones was a set up against Magda Linette when play was suspended.