"If I can play him in the final at Roland, that suits me": French hero Arthur Fils sets Rafael Nadal Roland Garros aim

French young tennis player Arthur Fils is hoping to secure an upset win against the former world number one Spain’s Rafael Nadal.

The 37-year-old is often regarded as one of the greatest players in the history of the men’s singles tennis in the Open era, having won as many as 22 Grand Slam titles. Out of those, Nadal ended up winning 14 titles while playing at Roland Garros.

Fils, who is regarded as one of the best young talents in France, was recently quoted in a report where he expressed his desire to beat the ‘King of Clay’ in the second Grand Slam of the year in 2024.

"Maybe not in the first round, but if I can play him in the final at Roland, that suits me. If, at the age of 19, I can stop him in Roland, that would be nice," he said. "You can't say big dream. ... but it would be nice. It is an idol of youth. I watched him win a lot of Grand Slams. I would like to play it in a match. My only goal will be to win if we play, but it would be nice, yes.”

Nadal is currently spending time on the sidelines as he is recovering from a knee injury. It was because of this reason he ended up missing three out of four Grand Slams in 2023.