Fils Leans on Ivanisevic’s Big-Stage Edge
Fresh from a straight-sets win in Doha, Arthur Fils embraces Goran Ivanisevic’s guidance to shake off 2025’s injury woes and chase deeper runs on the ATP circuit.
In Doha’s thick evening air, where floodlights cut through the haze, Arthur Fils moves with a purpose sharpened by setback and support. The 21-year-old Frenchman, rebounding from a year that fractured his momentum, now draws on the counsel of a coach whose left-handed serves once upended the tennis world. This partnership arrives as Fils carves through the Qatar ExxonMobil Open, his game pulsing with the intent to reclaim lost ground.
His 6-1, 7-6(7) dispatch of Quentin Halys in the second round carried the weight of revival, blending explosive returns with steadier baseline exchanges. Fils confirmed the collaboration with Goran Ivanisevic—the 2001 Wimbledon champion and former world No. 2—right after that match, his voice carrying genuine enthusiasm for the Croatian’s input. Ivanisevic, who steered Novak Djokovic through triumphs from 2018 to 2024, brings a reservoir of tactical nuance and mental steel to Fils’s corner.
“Hell of a champion, winner of a Slam, and he’s coached a lot of guys, a lot of champions actually,” Fils told ATP Media. “He’s helping me during the season. We are going to try [it out], but I think it’s good for me. It’s maybe the best for me to have his experience as a coach and as a player. So very, very happy that he joined us during this long journey.”
Rebuilding from Roland Garros fracture
The shadow of 2025 hangs over Fils like a nagging pull in his swing; he peaked at No. 14 in April before a stress fracture in his back halted everything at Roland Garros in late May. That injury confined him to just one more event—the National Bank Open in Toronto in early August—forcing a summer of sidelined frustration and forced patience. Now, with Ivanisevic‘s voice cutting through the recovery fog, Fils channels that downtime into deliberate adjustments, his forehand’s heavy topspin finding cleaner arcs on hard courts.
Ivanisevic’s own wild-card path to Wimbledon glory offers Fils a mirror for grit, emphasizing how to weave slice backhands into aggressive patterns without overextending. The duo’s sessions in Doha focus on endurance rallies, where Fils practices redirecting crosscourt drives into inside-out winners to disrupt opponents’ footing. This mental recalibration turns isolation into alliance, easing the young player’s path back to contention.
Quarterfinal test against Lehecka
Fils opened 2026 at the ATP 250 in Montpellier, his strokes showing flashes of pre-injury fire amid the crowd’s expectant hum. In Doha, he’s reached his second quarterfinal of the year, setting up a Thursday clash with Jiri Lehecka on these grippy hard courts at the ATP 500. Lehecka’s flat power and booming serve demand Fils deploy a crisp 1–2 pattern—deep returns followed by down-the-line forehands—to seize control early.
The atmosphere in the Khalifa International Tennis Complex crackles with possibility, expat cheers blending with local anticipation as Fils eyes a semifinal berth. Ivanisevic’s sideline prompts encourage net approaches, mixing underspin lobs with volleys to counter Lehecka’s baseline grind. A victory here would not only add crucial points but ignite Fils’s season, propelling him toward the consistency that eluded him last year.
Path to sustained momentum
Beyond this hard-court swing, Fils’s calendar brims with chances to test his evolved game—from clay revivals to grass echoes of Ivanisevic’s triumphs. The coach’s emphasis on variety—alternating inside-in backhands with probing slices—aims to fortify Fils against prolonged exchanges. As the tour’s early demands intensify, this bond fosters a rhythm where youthful athleticism meets veteran poise, hinting at a top-10 resurgence if the adjustments hold firm.
