ATP Tour

Fils responds to Alcaraz & Cobolli's hair: 'Let me do the cornrows'

Some of the ATP Tour’s biggest stars have been sporting fresh looks throughout the 2026 season, but Arthur Fils might just be the trendsetter.

The 22-year-old Frenchman debuted his cornrows in Miami in March and, judging by recent events, the style appears to have caught on. In recent months, Carlos Alcaraz and Flavio Cobolli have both been spotted with similar braids to the ones Fils first unveiled in South Florida.

Following his second-round win against Mariano Navone in Montreal on Thursday, Fils was asked by Tennis Channel’s Prakash Amritraj what he thought of his rivals seemingly taking inspiration from his hairstyle.

“Hey man, you’ve put me on the spot right now,” Fils responded with a smile. “Well, it’s cool that they’re trying [it]. It’s good to try. But I like Flavio more with his normal hair and I like Carlos with his normal hair, his Spanish hair. Just let me do the cornrows.”

With his playful verdict delivered, Fils made one thing clear: imitation may be flattering, but the cornrows are staying firmly in his lane.

Alcaraz has never been afraid to switch things up. Last year, the Spaniard turned heads when he arrived at the US Open sporting a buzz cut before charging to the title.

Whether Fils has braided together a new Tour trend remains to be seen, but for now he's happy to keep the signature look to himself. On Saturday, however, the focus will shift back to the court when the Frenchman meets Cameron Norrie in the third round of the Canadian ATP Masters 1000 event.

After returning from injury in February, Fils has compiled a 25-9 tour-level record this season, according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index, putting himself in pursuit of a first appearance at the season-ending Nitto ATP Finals. He is currently 12th in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin.