Arthur Fils continued his progress through the Madrid Open by defeating Emilio Nava in straight sets.
The Frenchman has now won seven matches in a row following his first ATP title of the year at the Barcelona Open.
Fils made a bold prediction about his Madrid Open chances, and he’s lived up to it with victories over Nava and Ignacio Buse.
Following his comeback to the ATP Tour in February, Fils is performing better than any other player in one aspect.
Arthur Fils tops impressive ATP Tour list
Fils is one of the most exciting prospects in the sport and he has hit the ground running since returning from a back injury in February.
The Frenchman has already won in Barcelona and reached the final of the Qatar Open and the semi-final of the Miami Open.
Is Arthur Fils the next best player after Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner?
At Masters events this year, the exciting Frenchman has a better forehand rating than any other player on the ATP Tour.
Top five fastest forehands in Masters 1000 events in 2026
- Arthur Fils – 85.6
- Francisco Cerundolo – 85.0
- Reilly Opelka – 84.5
- Rafael Jodar – 83.3
- Ethan Quinn – 83.3
Fils holds an 85.6 forehand speed rating, which puts him above Francisco Cerundolo, Reilly Opelka, Rafael Jodar, and Ethan Quinn.
Carlos Alcaraz and Joao Fonseca, two players who are often highly regarded for their forehand, are nowhere to be seen.
It’s proof that Fils is one of the biggest prospects to challenge the duopoly of Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner in the years to come.
Arthur Fils’ route through the Madrid Open
Fils will play Tomas Martin Etcheverry next for a chance to reach the quarter-finals of the Madrid Open for the first time.
If Fils beats the Argentine, he will play the winner of Jiri Lehecka or Lorenzo Musetti in the last eight of the competition.
Who do YOU think will win the Madrid Open? 💭
The Frenchman has already beaten both men this year, having beaten Lehecka in Doha and Musetti in Barcelona.
Fils is in the same half of the draw as Sinner, so the world number one could be a potential opponent for the semi-final.
Sinner and Fils have only played one match on the ATP Tour, which went the way of the Italian in Montpelier back in 2023.
