Arthur Fils has caused worry after he was not seen practicing ahead of Roland Garros.
Fils retired from his last match at the Italian Open, which was a worrying sign following his nine-month absence due to a back injury.
Despite the fear surrounding this injury, Fils confirmed that it was actually his hip and claimed that he would be ready for Roland Garros.
Rumours then began to circulate after Fils was not on the practice schedule for Roland Garros, and he was also not part of media day in Paris, but a positive update has now emerged regarding the Frenchman.
Arthur Fils has been practicing elsewhere ahead of Roland Garros
Fils may not have spoken to the press on media day of Roland Garros, but he was spotted practicing away from the main site.
Located a short distance away from the main Roland Garros complex, Fils was seen hitting at Club Jean-Bouin and was reported to be in no visible discomfort.
Not only has Fils been announced to speak to media on Saturday, May 23, but he will also return to the main site for two practice sessions.
The first of those will be with Jiri Lehecka, whom Fils has already played three matches against this year, on Court Philippe-Chatrier.
Just a matter of hours later, Fils will then take to the court to hit with his compatriot Gael Monfils, who is playing his final Roland Garros this year, on Court Suzanne-Lenglen.
Fils will then have two days ahead of his highly anticipated first-round match against another player who is retiring this year in Stan Wawrinka, which will take place on Monday, May 25.
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Fabrice Santoro admits he is ‘worried’ about Arthur Fils
There has been a lot of speculation surrounding Fils as the top-ranked French player at his home major tournament, and two-time Grand Slam doubles champion Fabrice Santoro has admitted he has been ‘worried’ about the 21-year-old.
“Of course I’m worried, because Arthur had been in great shape for the past few weeks, a few months,” said Santoro, as reported by Tennis Actu TV.
“He was playing extremely well and I was thinking, maybe we have a French player capable of going all the way at Roland Garros, even though it’s a bit of an obstacle course and there are a lot of good players.
“I don’t have any specific information, I just know that he has spent little time on the courts these last few days.”
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Despite being concerned about Fils, Santoro claimed that he has all the capabilities to win a Grand Slam title in the future and wanted to point out how many physical issues Rafael Nadal also had and still enjoyed a decorated career.
“Arthur as a tennis player, if we take his physical qualities, mental qualities, his serve, backhand, forehand, return, he ticks all the boxes,” added Santoro. “In my opinion, he has the potential to maybe go and win a major tournament.
“On the other hand, he has this physical fragility which has plagued him for several seasons, which sometimes leads him to leave the court when he is injured.
“That’s obviously awkward, but we must not forget that Rafael Nadal has often been injured and he has still won 22 major titles, including 14 Roland Garros’.”
