"It's really stupid": Rising Frenchman Arthur FIls not a fan of ATP Next Gen Finals rules

Arthur Fils lost out in the final of the Next Gen Finals to Hamad Medjedovic in another iteration of the season ender which sees new rules trialled out.

An innovation of this tournament aims to make points shorter and shorter sets to keep fans engaged. This means it is first to four instead of first to 6 or 7 like usual. It also means longer breaks though between sets and Fils was not a fan of that.

All will be good though with Fils who heads to Kuwait to train with Rafael Nadal over the next week to help him prepare for his comeback in January.

"It's a very wrong rule," said the Frenchman in an interview with l'Equipe.

Read also

Rafael Nadal invites French prodigy Arthur Fils to help train with him during Kuwait block: "I'm going to give it my all"

"If you want things to go faster, you don't need 10 minute breaks between one set and another. It's the regulation, so we have to put up with it. We stopped for about eight or ten minutes between the first and second sets, and then between the fourth and fifth.

"That's how it works. When he came back on the court, I was inside. I don't know if he wanted to break my rhythm or get back into the game. It may not be against me and I have no problem with it, but the rule is terrible. It's really stupid that this could happen here.

"I lost my rhythm a bit, after two intense tie-breaks, it's not easy to get back to playing the next point ten minutes later. I think this helped him. He didn't necessarily do it to harm me, in the end he respected the rules. In a Grand Slam, if you win 7-6 in the first set, an hour of play, it's normal, but here it's something you should be able to stop, it's really stupid."

Read also

MATCH REPORT | 2023 Next Gen ATP Finals: Masterful Hamad MEDJEDOVIC takes down Arthur FILS in spectacular performance to claim the trophy.

Subscribe to our Newsletter

Unlock your ultimate tennis experience—subscribe today for exclusive access to top stories.

Subscribe