Arthur Fils has been almost completely absent from the ATP Tour since suffering a stress fracture in his lower back at the French Open.
Fils, one of the brightest ATP prospects, looked to have overcome his injury troubles upon returning to the Tour at the Canadian Open.
However, Fils’ physical issues re-emerged, and he was forced to withdraw from the US Open after feeling a ‘warning sign.’
Most recently, the Frenchman withdrew from the Shanghai Masters, further delaying his return to the sport.
For a player aged just 21, this extended period of injury represents a worrying sign for the future, as acknowledged by a former Grand Slam champion.
Mark Knowles says Arthur Fils was advised to keep playing despite injury concerns
Mark Knowles, the former world number one in doubles, has discussed the latest information he has received regarding Arthur Fils’ injury situation.
The three-time Grand Slam doubles champion, who now coaches Jessica Pegula, spoke about the ‘unfortunate’ situation on ‘The Inside-In Tennis Podcast.’
Knowles said: “The biggest problem is that he is a young player. We say this so often. You have to be careful of the people you are surrounded by.
“The intel that I have gotten on it was that he should’ve shut the injury down a lot sooner. Was advised by certain people to keep playing, and unfortunately, it turned into a major issue.
That is always difficult. We can predict many things, see the way they hit the ball and their mentality, but the best ability is availability, and once the health goes sideways, it can affect a lot of things, especially if you are out for a long time.
“It’s unfortunate because he was really at a stage, where if he stayed healthy, he is probably in Turin and top 10. Who knows how he could have done at the US Open.
“He is right on the cusp of becoming a big time player, which he still has plenty of time to do.
But it gets worrisome when you have a major injury, especially about the back, with a guy who is such a physical player and such a specimen.
“But once the body starts to break down, then question marks arise.”
What did Arthur Fils say after withdrawing from the US Open?
After the Frenchman’s return to the court in Canada, fans of the Frenchman would have been hopeful of an extended period of good health.
However, after withdrawing from the Cincinnati Open, Fils revealed he was set for a further period on the sidelines.
On his Instagram story, the 21-year-old said: “After an injury that kept me away from the court, a warning sign felt during my comeback — first in Toronto, then in Cincinnati — led me to make the difficult but reasonable decision to withdraw from the US Open.
“This decision was made to allow for a full recovery.
“I’m working hard every day with my team to come back strong and be ready for the end of the season.
“Thank you for all your support.”
