Arthur Fils has always believed he was on the path to the very top of his chosen sport. Even when others considered him too young, too green or far too self-confident, he has entered the biggest tournaments in the world with the intention of winning them, ambitions he did not hesitate to express. On a historic afternoon in Mason, Ohio, Fils took an huge step forward in pursuit of those massive goals as the 22-year-old became a Masters 1000 champion for the first time in his young career.
His greatest achievement was secured with a supreme mental effort under pressure as the Frenchman dragged himself back into contention after a desperate second set, recovering to defeat Frances Tiafoe 6-3, 1-6, 6-0 and win the Cincinnati Open. Even before a ball was struck, this was a historic moment: the first ATP Masters 1000 final played between two black players. The pair have built such a great rapport that before this match, the biggest final of their careers, they cracked jokes together as they departed the practice courts side-by-side.
After taking a customary picture with the guest invited on-court to deliver the coin toss, Fils insisted on taking a picture with Tiafoe alone to mark the occasion. However, they were far more conscious of the enormous opportunity before them. One winnable match stood between each man and their first ever Masters 1000 title.
That shared tension is perhaps what made for a disjointed battle, with sharp momentum swings and minimal rhythm. In the end, it was Fils who managed his emotions at the beginning of the final set and willed his best tennis to the surface when it mattered most. This victory hopefully marks the end of a cruel period in Fils’s career and the ascension of a special talent capable of remaining at the top for many years.
He has long been one of the best young players on the tour and until last year he was steadily rising. His momentum was broken by a series of injuries, starting with a stress fracture in his back that essentially sidelined him for nine months until this February. He then endured an injury to his hip and back area that forced him to miss the French Open this year.
Fils has finished only one grand slam tournament without an injury, Wimbledon this year, since the 2024 US Open. Between those injuries, however, Fils has been comfortably one of the best players in the world and this result is merely reflective of that. Despite his injury layoffs, he now sits at No 5 in the ATP race and at a career high ranking of No 11.
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