Arthur Fery first picked up a tennis racket at age four on a court less than a mile from where he will play on Friday. Nearly 20 years later, the 23-year-old wildcard from Britain will step onto Centre Court at Wimbledon for a semi-final against second seed Alexander Zverev.
Fery grew up in Wimbledon itself, walking distance from the famous stadium where he dreamed of playing as a child. His mother Olivia competed in the Fed Cup and played doubles at the 1991 French Open. His father Loic owned French football club Lorient. Together, they moved the family from Sevres, France to London before Fery turned one.
"They're both extremely supportive with my career, not only now but over the past 10 to 11 years I've been playing sport," Fery told BBC Sport. "It is important to recognise their help, not only now I'm having success, but also in the bad times."
His first coach was Alison Taylor, a family friend married to three-time Wimbledon semi-finalist Roger Taylor. "Arthur was incredibly athletic and gifted," she told BBC Radio 5 Live. "His footwork was exceptional. He could retrieve any ball and was very balanced."
By age 10, Fery was already turning heads. Rather than traveling internationally to compete against other youngsters, coaches Craig Veal and Benoit Foucher decided he would develop better playing against adults in the UK. "When he was 16, he then got his junior ranking up very, very fast compared to a lot of his peers, because he was ready to play," Veal told The i Paper.
Fery went on to win World Tennis Junior singles and doubles titles, reaching number 12 in the world junior rankings. But turning pro was uncertain, so at 18 he chose Stanford University in California for a degree in science, technology and society, playing on a tennis scholarship.
"I wasn't necessarily ready to go and play professional tournaments straight away," Fery said. "It gave me time to mature. I made great friends, still pursued academics and had great coaches."
His Stanford coach Brandon Coupe saw something special in his mindset. "The kid has got ice in his veins. He is so calm under pressure," Coupe said.
Fery became the first Stanford player ranked singles number one in the US collegiate system since doubles legend Bob Bryan. Now ranked 114th in the world, he faces Zverev on Friday at 13:30 BST with a place in the Wimbledon final at stake.
For a player who once dreamed of Centre Court from courts nearby, this moment represents a journey two decades in the making.