Arthur Fils made history at the Monte Carlo Masters recently after winning his opening round at the event. He defeated Yannick Hanfamnn 6-0, 6-2 to reach the third round. Fils, at the age of 19, became the youngest Frenchman since 2005 to secure a win at Monte Carlo. But he could become the youngest semifinalist at the event this decade from France. In 2005, 18-year-old Richard Gasquet had beaten Roger Federer 7-6, 2-6, 7-6 in the quarterfinals of the Monte Carlo Masters.
Arthur Fils could not extend his momentum and was knocked out in the Round of 32 by Lorenzo Musetti of Italy. Many believe Fils is the biggest hope for men’s tennis in France after Richard Gasquet and Gael Monfils. Gasquet had impressed in the 2005 event, although he lost the semi-final to the eventual champion, Rafael Nadal. He is the only player from France who has amassed 600-plus wins on the ATP Tour. He has 164 wins on clay and leads the list of active players from France.
Fils, like Gasquet, started his career at a very young age on the ATP Tour and plays aggressively on the court. His groundstrokes have caused difficulties for many players. Interestingly, Fils and Gasquet both made their debuts on the ATP Tour on clay. Both players have won one title and reached the finals once during their teenage years.
Gasquet was also considered a better clay court player widely and Fils has shown a lot of promise. Unlike Gasquet though, Fils uses a two-handed backhand that is much more similar to Jo-Wilfried-Tsonga.
Fils has played twice against Gasquet on the ATP Tour too and is yet to drop a set against him. Over the past 12 months, he has risen up as one of the promising talents on the tour.
But now Fils will have to create more opportunities for himself to become the second youngest French men’s player to make it to a Masters 1000 semifinal on clay and carry on the Gasquet legacy (or rather do better than him). The youngster has already reached two finals in his career and has big shoes to fill in.
Arthur Fils has the potential and will aim for better result at the Madrid Masters 2024
Fils won his career’s first title on clay in the 2023 season at Lyon, France. He notched up impressive victories in the 2023 season. The 19-year-old defeated Casper Ruud in straight sets in the quarterfinals at Hamburg. He then recorded his second top-ten win while beating Stefanos Tsitsipas in the semifinals at Antwerp.
After having a highly successful season, Fils was invited to the Rafa Nadal Academy in Kuwait and practiced with Rafael Nadal. He described Nadal as one of the greatest players of all time. The 2023 season also saw Fils being signed up as the brand ambassador at Lacoste. He joined the likes of Daniil Medvedev and Novak Djokovic at Lacoste.
