Australian Open 2026: Arthur Ferry stuns 20th seed Flavio Copoli in the first shock of the tournament

The 5-foot-9-inch Ferry lacks the punch of some opponents on serve, but he showed there was plenty of venom in his groundstrokes as he fired forehands past his opponent.

“I feel like I’m a strong guy overall,” Ferry, who has bulked up through intense work in the gym, told BBC Sport.

“But given my size and playing style, I’m not going to attack players off the court with aces and winners from behind the scenes.

“I’ve been playing tennis for a long time, so it’s something you can learn to overcome by scoring at the net and changing the pace.”

The Londoner, who grew up near the All England Club at Wimbledon, played intelligently and aggressively, moving Copoli all over the court.

Copoli, who reached the Wimbledon quarter-finals, looked desolate throughout the match.

He took electrolyte tablets given to him by the doctor after leaving the court, then asked to see the medical staff again after trailing 3-0 in the third set.

Despite the potential distractions, Ferry had no problem claiming the second Grand Slam victory and third win at ATP Tour level of his career.

Argentine Tomas Martin Echeverri – the world number 61 who came through in five sets to defeat Serbian Miomir Kecmanovic – is his reward in the second round.