Fils smiles through the Rotterdam return
Eight months after a back fracture derailed his rise, Arthur Fils steps onto the court in Rotterdam, his grin masking the mental grind of rehab and the fire to reclaim his aggressive game.
Arthur Fils’ smile lit up the Rotterdam arena, a beacon after eight months of shadows from a stress fracture. The 21-year-old Frenchman, who peaked at No. 14 in the PIF ATP Rankings, absorbs the crowd’s energy, his body now primed for the indoor hard courts’ quick tempo. Before the injury struck during the 2025 clay season at Roland Garros in May, he was firing heavy topspin forehands in deep rallies, only to withdraw before the third round and skip the grass swing entirely.
A premature comeback in Toronto last August netted one win but reignited the pain, forcing another extended break. Last week at the ATP 250 in Montpellier, Fils tested his limits, defeating Valentin Royer and Ugo Blanchet with crosscourt backhands and slice approaches that disrupted their baseline games. Though Felix Auger-Aliassime overpowered him in the quarterfinals with explosive serves and inside-out winners, the run confirmed his back’s stability amid prolonged exchanges.
“It has been a very, very long time, about eight months really, so I am just so pleased to be back,” Fils told ATPTour.com. “It feels so good. To feel the excitement again, the crowd, the atmosphere. I am ready.”
Mental strain outpaces physical toll
The rehab demanded core strengthening and flexibility drills, but Fils found the isolation hardest, watching rivals surge while he sidelined. He stopped tuning into matches altogether, the weekly misses gnawing deeper than any ache. That loneliness amplified the challenge, turning the Tour’s rhythm into a distant hum he yearned to rejoin.
“It was very mental, to be honest,” Fils said. “It was more being on the sidelines than the pain itself. At one point I stopped watching tennis completely because I just wanted to be there. When you can’t be there and you’re watching the matches, it’s more painful. You feel like you’re missing something every week. I found that a real challenge, and a little lonely at times.”
His pre-injury titles in Lyon (2023), Hamburg (2024), and Tokyo (2024) became anchors, reminders of inside-in forehands that carved through defenses on varied surfaces. As points slipped away and others climbed rankings, Fils channeled frustration into visualization, picturing one–two patterns of serve and forehand to rebuild momentum. This mental pivot transformed doubt into determination, setting the stage for a measured return.
Rehab prioritizes steady rebuilding
Fils and his team resisted rushing, starting with gym sessions to fortify the back before easing into court work. They layered in mobility exercises, essential for pivoting on hard courts where quick adjustments counter flat returns. No shortcuts allowed; the focus stayed on durability to handle the Tour’s demands, from clay’s looping topspin to indoor speed.
“We had to take our time,” Fils explained. “We built up the strength in the gym first and then slowly returned to the court. My team and I were very careful because the back is such a major area. We needed to build it up slowly, with a lot of strengthening and flexibility work to build up mobility. There was no point rushing anything.”
In Montpellier, the body held through straight-set wins, easing questions about sharpness. Fils mixed underspin slices to pull opponents forward, then unleashed down-the-line passes, his footwork fluid without strain. Peers’ supportive messages flooded in, warming the locker room reunions and underscoring the circuit’s quiet bonds.
“The most important thing in Montpellier was to see how the body felt,” Fils said. “After eight months, the first match is never easy. You always have questions. But the body felt good and the mind felt good as well. That was the biggest positive.”
“I received a lot of messages of support from friends on the Tour,” he added. “That meant a lot. And it was really nice to see everyone again, especially in the locker room. You realise how much you missed those small things when you are back.”
Rotterdam opener sharpens focus
Now at the ATP 500 in Rotterdam, Fils opens against top seed and two-time finalist Alex de Minaur, whose speed and flat groundstrokes test every angle. Fils plans to disrupt with heavy topspin forehands, targeting de Minaur’s backhand with inside-in shots to open crosscourt lanes. The indoor hard courts favor his aggressive baseline style, where precise serves set up 1–2 combinations to exploit openings.
“You have to think about that and the past success to push on,” Fils reflected. “I knew that I was playing very good tennis before I got injured, and I had already done some good things on the Tour. So I told myself, ‘You just have to wait, take the time, and when you come back, you’ll play as good as you did before.’”
He manages energy wisely, retreating to the hotel between sessions to preserve stamina for deeper runs. Free of overthinking, Fils trusts the groundwork, his game evolving with tactical variety over raw power. As February 2026 heats up, this matchup could accelerate his climb, blending reclaimed joy with sharpened edges for the hard-court swing ahead.
“I’m taking it one match at a time,” Fils said. “I feel good physically, which is the most important thing. I’m ready to play here and really looking forward to it. But I’m also trying to be smart. Not staying on site too long, going back to the hotel, saving energy. It’s about finding the right balance.”
“I know how much work we have put in to come back, so I’m not worried about the back. I don’t have stress or pressure. I just feel good to be back playing. I can’t go out on court overthinking. I just trust the work we have done.”
