Arthur Fils has withdrawn from the French Open, delivering the news on Saturday during a brief afternoon press conference that confirmed the end of his home Grand Slam hopes before a ball was struck.
The 21-year-old French #1, widely regarded as one of the standout performers of the season and ranked #5 in the Race, pulled out due to persistent pain in his back and hip, an issue that flared up in Rome two weeks earlier, when he retired mid-match.
Fils explained that while the current discomfort is not related to the serious injury that disrupted much of his 2025 campaign, rushing back too soon last year heavily influenced his decision.
“It’s just pain, I can’t keep making the same mistake,” he said, underlining a cautious approach after previously aggravating his body by returning too early to competition.
The Frenchman had initially attempted to push through the issue in Rome but quickly realised the risk was too high.
“It was bothering me a lot. I didn’t want to take any risk in Rome,” he admitted, adding that subsequent medical checks and two weeks away from proper training left him underprepared for Paris. Even when he resumed hitting, the discomfort remained unreso lved.
“I don’t know if it’s the lower back, the hip, or the psoas,” he said, highlighting the uncertainty surrounding the exact source of the pain.
After a practice session with Jiří Lehečka on Saturday, Fils and his team made the final call to withdraw. He noted that while he was striking the ball well, match conditions told a different story.
“You can’t keep it up for three hours,” he said, pointing to the physical demands of Grand Slam tennis. “If it was the last tournament of my career, I would have played.”
The decision, though painful, was framed as preventative rather than alarming. Fils emphasised that he does not believe the issue is serious long-term, but acknowledged the timing made continuation impossible.
“No, it’s fine. I’m a little bit hurt,” he said. “I’ll try to do good work to be ready for the grass season.”
His withdrawal ends a promising clay-court surge that had positioned him among the elite performers of the season. Earlier in the year, Fils reached the Doha final, an Indian Wells quarter-final, a Miami semi-final, won the Barcelona title with a victory over Andrey Rublev, and made a Madrid semi-final run before losing to Jannik Sinner. On clay over the past 12 months, he had compiled a 9–1 record, second only to Sinner on tour.
Arriving in Rome in strong form, expectations were high for a deep Roland-Garros run. However, his early retirement against Andrea Pellegrino after just over 20 minutes signalled deeper issues that rest and scans could not fully resolve.
What once looked like a breakout home Slam opportunity has now turned into a setback, with Fils shifting focus toward recovery and a return for the grass season.
Main photo: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
