"One thing is certain: we’ll have to keep an eye on him" - World number one Jannik Sinner lavishly praises the inform Arthur Fils

Arthur Fils has really caught the eye of many tennis players and fans. His rise over the past couple of years have got many people excited and interested with French tennis in safe hands for the future. He is lapping up the praise from different sources, including the world number one.

This time last year, he was on a similar trajectory to stardom. He had reached three consecutive Masters 1000 quarterfinals while also making it to the semi-final stage of the Barcelona Open. He would not make the same progress in the second half of the campaign, sidelined thanks to a back problem. A failed comeback attempt at the Canadian Open scuppered any plans of making anymore inroads up the rankings, falling from a career high 14th in the world out of the top 30.

He would return after the Australian swing with a vengeance. He returned like nothing had ever happened, ending up in the final of the Qatar Open where Carlos Alcaraz swiftly disposed of him. He backed up his quarterfinal from last year at Indian Wells with another one before going a round better at the Miami Open. He would lose to eventual runner-up Jiri Lehecka in the semi-finals.

While that was a hugely disappointing result, he had earned more points from the Sunshine swing than last year. The 21-year-old skipped the Monte-Carlo Masters, something that would be looked upon as an inspired decision. Following from that, he traversed to Catalonia where a fine week of tennis saw him win the Barcelona Open, defeating Andrey Rublev in straight sets for a first ATP title since 2024.

Now up to 25th in the world, he is defending very little for the rest of the clay swing, and virtually nothing after that. Whispers of him blasting his way into the top 10 in the near future have become louder and even inevitable to some.

His influence has got the best tennis players in the world piping up, complimenting him. This includes four-time Grand Slam champion Sinner. The Italian has followed his progress from afar, impressed with what he has seen.

"He’s playing incredible tennis right now,” he said ahead of the Madrid Open. "He’s very focused on what he needs to do, and is in great physical shape. He’s been very consistent on all surfaces. Winning in Barcelona will give him a lot of confidence to play well here, in Rome, and especially in Paris in front of the French crowd."

With Roland Garros right around the corner, Fils is among the French players looking to put on a show in the capital. There is a certainty that he will be the main man in Paris, something for the French fans to be very excited about. "I’m happy for France," Sinner continued. "France needs players like Arthur. Let’s see what the future holds for him, but one thing is certain: we’ll have to keep an eye on him."

Not just the present are complimenting him. Former Spanish tennis player Alex Corretja has also jumped on the bandwagon. The former world number two analysed his remarkable mentality, a tool that has aided his rise up the order.

"What struck me most about Arthur Fils? His mentality, without a doubt," he told L'Equipe after Fils Barcelona success.

"He’s clearly taken a step forward; I find him very mature. He’s always been an explosive player, but now he’s managed to bring a touch of stability to his mind, and that makes all the difference. I saw him all week, always very serious, very focused. When you add that to all the improvements he’s made to his game, it can only work. He has everything. Honestly, he impressed me; he’s going to be top 10 very quickly."

Fils will target a deep run in the Madrid Open, the fourth Masters 1000 of the year and second on clay. He could face off against Sinner in the semi-final stage if he was to get that far. A matchup that would excite the whole tennis world, and possibly an insight on the future rivalry the pair could endure.