Arthur Fils has made a successful return to the ATP Tour, winning his opening match in Montpellier against Valentin Royer.
Battling a back injury since May 2025, Fils last played on the ATP Tour in August, and had last claimed a win in July.
But he is now back to winning ways on home soil, with the Frenchman defeating his compatriot 7-6(7), 6-7(4), 6-2.
However, despite having plenty of time away from the court recently, Fils has now revealed just how little tennis he watches.
What is your bold prediction for the 2026 tennis season?
Arthur Fils only watches Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard, Alejandro Davidovich Fokina and Ben Shelton
As quoted by Punto de Break’s Jose Moron, the 21-year-old said: “I don’t watch tennis.
“I found out [Carlos] Alcaraz won in Australia, but it’s been a long time since I’ve seen a match.
“I only watch [Giovanni Mpetshi] Perricard, [Alejandro Davidovich] Fokina, and [Ben] Shelton sometimes, that’s it.”
It’s quite the revelation from Fils, who certainly missed an exciting Australian Open final as Alcaraz overcame ATP legend Novak Djokovic.
But given that tennis has unquestionably dominated his life so far, such an approach to actually watching the sport in his spare time is more than understandable.
His three favorites are also understandable, with Fils having previously played doubles with both Shelton and Fokina, while Perricard is also French.
Do you believe Carlos Alcaraz is already the greatest tennis player of all time?
What is the history of Arthur Fils on the ATP Tour?
Talented youngster Fils hasn’t been on the scene for too long, with the 21-year-old Frenchman turning pro in 2021.
But he’s already left a mark on the ATP Tour, winning three titles and climbing as high as number 14 in the world rankings.
| Year | Titles | Tournaments |
| 2024 | 2 | Tokyo (Outdoor/Hard) Hamburg (Outdoor/Clay) |
| 2023 | 1 | Lyon (Outdoor/Clay) |
Given his injury struggles of late, he has since slipped to 42nd place, although that could change very quickly indeed, beginning with a lengthy run on his immediate return from injury.
Heading into the ATP 250 event in France, the home hope had an 83-58 win-loss record, with career earnings of $5,944,702.
He now faces French qualifier Ugo Blanchet in the round of 16 in Montpellier, where Fils represents the sixth seed.
Also seeded at the tournament are the likes of Felix Auger-Aliassime, Flavio Cobolli, Ugo Humbert and Tomas Machac.
