Arthur Fils has proven himself one of the brightest young talents on the ATP Tour. A Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF alumnus, the Frenchman has competed on the world's grandest stages against the biggest stars in tennis.
Fils will have another opportunity to show the world his game when he takes on Carlos Alcaraz in the semi-finals of the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell.
ATPTour.com recently caught up with Arthur Fils to discuss how it has all added up for him early in his career, from his struggles and successes to his fiercest feud and more.
What has been the most unique moment in your career?
The most unique moment of my career was probably my title in Tokyo. [It] was a tough run with some great matches.
What made it so unique?
I played first match, three sets. Second match Matteo [Berrettini] retired. But then against Ben [Shelton], against Holger [Rune] and against Ugo [Humbert], was much more than two hours. It was very tough, physically and everything. And it was a great memory to feel ready to battle [for such a] long time like this.
What's the biggest number or the biggest accomplishment you're chasing?
[What] I'm chasing, it is one day to be able to compete in the last rounds of the Slams and to be in the top of the [PIF ATP] Rankings.
And how long have you been pursuing that?
Since I'm young. I'm thinking like this since I was five years old, when I started to play tennis.
What's your favourite tournament to play and why?
Probably Indian Wells. It's one of the chill [tournaments]. We can play soccer, we can play tennis, not a lot of noise. Everything [is] very calm, and beautiful as well.
What's been the coolest off-court experience you've been able to enjoy because you're a professional player?
My holidays are always nice. We went to with Gio [Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard at the end of the season]. But otherwise, I love to go to watch some soccer match or we did a bit of the fashion week. That's the change a little bit from things.
What is your favourite tennis rivalry?
My favourite tennis rivalry was Roger against Rafa, because I watched so much of the matches and especially one when Roger came back in Australia.
Who's your greatest rival?
Greatest rival, for now, I'm still young on the Tour, but I would say Alejandro Davidovich Fokina.
What makes him so tough to play?
When I arrived on the Tour, I played the first tournament at Roland Garros when he beat me. Then we go [to] Wimbledon, two months after. He beat me in the first round. Was not too easy to play against him. And now we are 2-2, and it's always nice to play against him.
Watch special longform feature:
What's been your greatest success?
I would say either Tokyo or home [Lyon], because [it was] my biggest title.
What’s the greatest difficulty you've had to overcome?
I think for an athlete, it's always the same, [whether] you're a tennis player or football player or whatever. It's the injury, always terrible for an athlete, there is nothing you can do. You can just do some rehab and wait more again. So, I think that is the worst thing.
Is there a specific injury that you had to overcome that was particularly difficult?
When I was young, I broke some vertebrae. Yeah, well, I think that was the toughest one.
© Copyright 1994 - 2024 ATP Tour, Inc. All Rights Reserved. No part of this site may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any way or by any means (including photocopying, recording or storing it in any medium by electronic means), without the written permission of ATP Tour, Inc.. Terms & Conditions | Privacy | Community Social Media Policy | Modern Slavery Statement | Feedback | Cookies | Your Privacy Choices 
