The symbol was strong in Lyon on Friday. Winner in the final of the ATP 250 tournament against Cerundolo in two sets, Arthur Fils received his trophy from the hands of Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. A passing of the baton for the very young 18-year-old player, and more generally a message of hope for French tennis which awaits its new generation capable of going, finally, to the heights.
After retiring last year, Tsonga hailed this young tricolor guard full of panache who is gradually coming to the professionals. "What I see from the outside is that they are very ambitious. And that is the character of champions. If you are not, you have almost no chance of achieving what you dream of at night. They have ambition and I like that. »
If it will still take time and several tournaments for Arthur Fils to reach maturity, the one who will play his very first match this Monday in the main draw of a grand slam tournament is eager to battle it out. And yet, between Roland-Garros and him, the story did not begin in 2023. Two years ago, the Francilien reached the final of the junior tournament and lost to his compatriot Luca Van Assche. His progress has been built little by little: last year he became the youngest French player to join a Masters 1000 since a certain Gaël Monfils in 2004.
An etched moment. ✨️ The moment when Arthur Fils won his very first title at only 18 years old, in France, during the ATP 250 tournament in Lyon. ������pic.twitter.com/jPYT2WdsQY
Ranked beyond the 600th place in the world at the start of 2022, the player from Essonne reached the top 250 in January 2023. This first success in Lyon allows him to confirm his momentum, while he will blow his 19th candle in a few days. “There is always a before and after a first title. It will remain forever in the back of my mind, that's for sure,” Fils said.
On the court, Arthur Fils exudes great energy, with a forehand that smashes. If his two-handed backhand is still perfectible, he has shown that in terms of endurance and long rallies, he now knows how to keep up. And confidence, the young tennis player seems to have stored up well in recent days. "I have no problem with the pressure. We play to be the best. It's normal to have that kind of expectation from people. Me, in any case, I handle it very well. »
The change in Son's dimension is in any case of interest to the upper echelons of French tennis, like Yannick Noah who gave him some wise advice. "Arthur, if you want call me. If I have any advice to give him, it is possible to go far by being French. It's more difficult to be a champion when you're French. You have to go eat somewhere else. We are used to losing at all levels. You are surrounded by people who have all lost and when you win, you don't know what to do. That's what happened to me, he confessed on the sidelines of the special day organized in his honor. I have a mental support job. If the players call me, I'm there, but time is running out. “It remains to be seen whether this outstretched hand will find an echo…
