“I only follow three players”: Arthur Fils confesses he skipped the Australian Open final and names the only peers he watches

Arthur Fils stated that he did not pay attention to the Australian Open final and that he only follows the matches of three of his colleagues — none of whom reached the final stages in Melbourne.

After more than half a year away from the circuit, a serious back injury and a sharp drop in the ATP rankings, the 21-year-old Frenchman reappears at the Open Occitanie in Montpellier, the very place where he began to build his name on the Tour.

However, his competitive return has not been what has drawn the most attention in the tennis world in recent days, but rather a confession as honest as it was surprising about his current relationship with the circuit… and with its biggest stars.

While the tennis world closely follows every move by Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz or Jannik Sinner, Fils admitted without hesitation that all that noise feels completely distant to him. Asked about the recent Australian Open final — won by Alcaraz — the Frenchman delivered a response that left journalists and fans alike stunned.

“Zero. I watched nothing. I saw that Carlos won, but it’s been a long time since I watched a tennis match. I don’t really follow them anymore,” Fils said with total naturalness, a statement that sharply contrasts with the widespread obsession surrounding every major match on the calendar. For a player who just a year ago was firmly established among the world’s best, the comment did not go unnoticed.

Far from softening his words, Fils went even further by explaining that, across the entire Tour, there are only three players whose matches he might watch. And on that list are neither Djokovic, nor Sinner, nor Alcaraz himself. “I only follow Gio (Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard), Foki (Alejandro Davidovich Fokina) and Ben Shelton. That’s it,” he stated. A personal, almost introspective view that reflects the particular moment the Frenchman is going through after months marked by physical and mental frustration.

The context helps explain his stance. Arthur Fils reached a career-high ranking of world No. 14 in May 2025, but his progress was abruptly interrupted by a serious injury: a fracture in his back suffered during Roland Garros. That setback completely removed him from the competitive rhythm, forced him to stop for eight months and sent him down to No. 42 in the ATP rankings. A heavy blow for a player who had been growing at an accelerated pace.

“The worst moment was when I had to pull out of Bercy (Paris). But I had to protect my body. If I had played then, I probably wouldn’t be here today,” Fils explained, describing a process he himself defined as “a long road.” During that time, the Frenchman not only worked on his recovery, but also transformed his physique and the way he plays.

During that period, he lost between six and seven kilos, adapted his serve, adjusted his movement and rebuilt his game with the main objective of protecting his back. “You’ll see changes on court as early as Tuesday. We worked incredibly hard on it for three months. The goal for 2026 is clear: to stay healthy and fit throughout the entire season,” he assured.

And the first signs were encouraging. After withdrawing at the last minute from the Australian Open last month, Fils chose to wait and return without rushing. The decision appeared to be the right one. In his debut at the Open Occitanie in Montpellier, he defeated compatriot Valentin Royer in an intense first-round battle: 7-6(7), 6-7(4), 6-2 in 2 hours and 32 minutes of play.

If it were not known that he had gone six months without competing — his last match being on August 1 in Toronto against Jiri Lehecka — his absence would hardly have been noticeable. Fils displayed his usual grit, a solid first-serve percentage and a ball that traveled with depth and pace. He saved a set point in the opening set, dominated with his serve (14 aces in total) and responded with authority in the key moments.

The match had its ups and downs, with two tie-breaks and long rallies from the baseline. Royer managed to take the lead in several stretches, but it was Fils who imposed his hierarchy when it mattered most. In the third set, after more than two hours of play, he showed no signs of fatigue: he broke at the right moment and closed out the match with authority, celebrating alongside his entire team after the final point.

The victory in Montpellier not only marks Arthur Fils’ competitive return, but also the beginning of a new chapter in his career. Coincidentally, it was at this very tournament where he achieved his first major breakthrough in 2023, reaching the semifinals before falling to Jannik Sinner. Today, the context is different, and so are the priorities.

Beyond immediate results, Fils appears focused on rebuilding himself from the inside out, away from the noise, the comparisons and the constant monitoring of the Tour’s biggest stars. In the second round, he will face his compatriot lucky loser Ugo Blanchet in his quest to reach the quarterfinals.