Cédric Chasseur, edited by Philippe Folgado / Photo credits: Eva MANHART / APA / AFP
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5:07 p.m., October 31, 2023
Black Monday for French tennis at the Rolex Paris Masters. Richard Gasquet fell straight away this Monday. Today, Monfils, Bonzi, Humbert and Arthur Fils enter the fray. The 19-year-old French nugget knew how to surround herself with the right people, which perhaps explains her exceptional season.
Arthur Fils is having an exceptional season. Aged only 19, the 36th player in the ATP ranking continues his rise in the hierarchy of world tennis. And undoubtedly thanks to a duo surrounding him, composed of Sébastien Grosjean and Sergi Bruguera, two former top 5 players in the world. A duo which allowed Richard Gasquet, in 2015, to regain a place among the 10 best tennis players on the planet.
“It’s an example, Arthur wants to win”
This choice is that of independence for Arthur Fils. He thus leaves the federal fold as one leaves the family home: “I start to grow up and then, at one point, you have to take off. So that’s why I made strong choices, but I confidence in my choices. I hope it will pay off and that it will take me high,” he declares.
A decision validated by the French Tennis Federation (FTT) which even encourages other hopefuls in the discipline to follow in the footsteps of the young prodigy. “He is an example, I think he is one to follow, we are delighted to see the professionalism that is evident behind his personality. Arthur wants to win, he looks far and this ambition is justified by means that he strives to achieve this”, estimates Gilles Moretton, president of the FFT.
Winner of his first tournament in Lyon in the spring, finalist in Antwerp 15 days ago, Arthur Fils now dreams of a first career quarter-final in Masters 1000. A hypothetical quarter where he could find a certain world number 1, Novak Djokovic.