(VIDEO) "Back in the lab" - Arthur Fils confirms return to the court as he ramps up preparations for 2026 comeback

Arthur Fils looks to be progressing well as he attempts to make a long awaited comeback to tennis after being sidelined for the second half of 2025.

The Frenchman was enjoying a fabulous year before persistent lower back problems took full attention. He had reached a new career high of world number 14 and was making a huge impression on court, regularly going deep into events and challenging the big players. In the first three Masters 1000 events of the year, he made three consecutive quarter-finals as he impressed in the Sunshine swing before losing out to Carlos Alcaraz in the Monte-Carlo Masters.

However, the good times would not last forever. His back injury would worsen into the clay swing. After playing out a five-set classic against Jaume Munar in the second-round of Roland Garros, he withdrew from the tournament ahead of a third-round clash against Andrey Rublev. The 21-year-old will not make a return to the court until the start of the North American hardcourt swing. His comeback was short-lived and possibly premature. After a lacklustre Canadian Open in both singles and doubles, Fils made the executive decision to sit out for the rest of 2025.

The return may be very close to happening with the 2026 tennis season just around the corner. He will be hoping to get back into match sharpness ahead of tennis going Down Under in January. This can be completed by playing tennis, and that is what he has been doing. On Instagram, he posted a video of him at the Rafael Nadal Academy in Kuwait enjoying some rallies with a member of his team. He captioned the post, "Back in the lab."

Many tennis fans are excited to see this young Frenchman get back competing at the highest level. He has already showed the potential that he possesses. It is just implementing it for a long period of time without injuries getting in the way.

While his team made the decision to skip the rest of 2025, Fils was looking at a return before schedule at the World Tennis Continental Cup in Shenzhen, China, at the end of December. Many tennis players compete in exhibitions to keep their fitness and match sharpness high in a non-pressurised environment. This will not be the case for Fils, who has announced his withdrawal from the event in a video on Instagram. "Hey guys, Arthur Fils here. Yeah, so due to my past injury like everyone knows I will not be able to play the WTCC at the end of the year. I’m going to be back on tour in the start of 2026 so I wish everyone a great competition there, I hope you guys are going to enjoy and see you guys soon,” he said.

Before that, he had been shortlisted among a number of big players to compete in the World Tennis League, set to make his debut in India. However, he has opted against competing, focusing a return in the new year. A number of tournaments will be hosted ahead of the Australian Open, which will commence from 18th January.