Arthur Fils’s return to tennis this year has been hugely impressive, with the 21-year-old re-establishing himself as one of the sport’s most promising young talents.
However, much like the rest of the ATP Tour, he was unable to solve the problem that is Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, losing handily to both in Qatar and Madrid, respectively.
He took these hefty defeats well, laughing about the gulf in class between him and the world’s top two players.
But, underneath that jovial exterior, there is a fierce competitor who will be desperate to ascend to their level eventually.
Arthur Fils, speaking ahead of the Italian Open, has reaffirmed his belief that this will one day happen.
Arthur Fils says if he genuinely believes he can be world number one
Chatting to the press, he began by discussing his relationship with the clay, having lost just one match all season on the surface.
“It could have been two losses and no wins,” he started, citing tight early-round clashes with Ignacio Buse and Terence Atmane. “It could have gone the wrong way, but I’m very happy, very happy with the results I had in the past two weeks.
Is Arthur Fils the next best player after Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner?
“I mean, played some great tennis in Barcelona, and I’m enjoying myself on the clay, and I really like it.”
Then asked about that Madrid Open semi-final against Sinner, the reporter described the clash as ‘toe-to-toe’. This drew a smile from Fils, who claimed: “Toe-to-toe? That’s not toe-to-toe. In that first set, was more massacre [laughs].”
He continued: “I mean, he’s a great champion; he didn’t lose one match since Indian Wells, so it’s a lot of wins. A lot of wins in a row.
“It was funny because when we stepped on the court, we both hadn’t lost one game on clay, and I was like, okay, maybe I’m gonna make him lose… Didn’t happen [laughs].
“But no, it was very nice to share the court with him. It’s a great experience for me. I mean, I took some lessons from it, I’m trying to work on it as well, and hopefully the next time we play it’s going to be a bit nicer for me, but actually, I really enjoyed it.”
Fils concluded by outlining his ambition to one day reach the apex of the world rankings, claiming: “I do believe. I do believe it.
“I mean, I know it’s going to be a lot, a lot of work, a lot of struggle, a long journey, but I really hope I’m going to be it one day.
“I do it since I was a kid, to be number one in the world. It’s not easy, it’s not gonna be easy, that’s for sure, but if I’m working, why not? I mean, why not believe? I mean, it’s nice to believe.”
Fils played a practice set against Novak Djokovic earlier this week, in an effort to test his level against one of the all-time greats.
Why Arthur Fils is the third-best player in the world
Whilst Novak Djokovic or Alexander Zverev might argue otherwise, Fils has proven over the last few months why he is the true third-best player in the world and the most likely challenger to Alcaraz and Sinner’s dominance.
After all, on the clay in particular, the Frenchman has shone.
His only loss on this surface this season came at the hands of Sinner, having won the Barcelona title just before he roared into the Madrid Open semi-finals.
When does Jannik Sinner next lose a tennis match? 👀
The ease with which he has returned to the apex of the sport after so long out with such a debilitating injury is astounding. When he truly returns to full fitness and gets a consistent run of form across an entire season, what he could accomplish is frightening for the rest of the ATP Tour.
His trajectory is only heading in one direction, whilst Zverev and Djokovic still remain very much unpredictable entities, both held back by various mental and physical issues.
To bet against Fils would be unwise. He is definitely worth his place in the conversation for the third-best player in the world, and will have a golden chance to prove it at Roland Garros.
