Son rises to the next level: "Little by little I am building my tennis"

The Frenchman captured his second ATP 500 of the season in Tokyo, showing maturity in his tennis throughout the week that bodes well for the future.

Fernando Murciego | 2 Oct 2024 | 07.00
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Arthur Fils, with his title at the ATP 500 in Tokyo. Source: Getty
Arthur Fils, with his title at the ATP 500 in Tokyo. Source: Getty

Talking about Arthur Fils today is more about the future than the present, as the feeling is that he still needs some extra time to reach the level of other talents like Carlos Alcaraz or Jannik Sinner. We don't know if he will ever sit at that table, but what is evident is that the Frenchman has grown a lot in recent months, capturing the ATP 500 in Hamburg in July and doing the same this past weekend at the ATP 500 in Tokyo. His name is resonating louder thanks to performances as brilliant as the one he delivered in Japanese soil.

Imagine the difficulty inherent in winning a tournament of this caliber, regardless of the draw. To this, add the worst turn of events: Taylor Fritz in the first round, Matteo Berrettini in the round of 16, Ben Shelton in the quarterfinals, Holger Rune in the semis, and Ugo Humbert in the final. Many might think the easiest part was saved for last, not realizing that Humbert had arrived with a perfect record of wins in individual finals: six out of six. Arthur faced all these challenges in the last few days, mastering each one with great skill. Yesterday, just to add more drama, he saved a match point in the second set to make his third professional triumph even more epic.

"Honestly, I don't know how I did it, how I turned it around," expressed the Frenchman after a match that surpassed the three-hour mark. "From 5-5 in the first set, I was very tired, dead on the court, although both of us were playing incredible shots. It was a tough, close first set; I had several break opportunities but couldn't convert any. He is a great champion and made it very difficult for me, so in the second set, I did everything I could, even saving a match point. In tennis, everything can change in a single second, and that's what happened. I'm very happy with the final result, but I'm aware that I could have lost today," evaluated the 20-year-old player.

SEEKING HIS PLACE

While keeping his compatriot Humbert from achieving a historic record - aiming to be the first Open Era player to win his first seven finals - Fils shone in Tokyo to grab the attention of the audience. Particularly for those who hesitate to include him in the future dominators of the ATP circuit. On the verge of returning to the top 20 and solidifying his position as the second-best in his country, it is clear today that Arthur just needed a bit more time to put the pieces together and start showing a much more convincing version on the court. An evolution that seemed somewhat stagnant in the first half of the season, until the summer arrived and his rocket launched.

"I'm very pleased with the tennis I'm producing, the backhand I hit at the end of the match was the best I struck all week, it was truly crazy," acknowledges the Frenchman concerning how he sealed his 36th victory of the year, crowning him champion in Tokyo. "I am working hard, trying to build my game step by step. I believe that right now I'm playing better than ever, I'd say since Hamburg, I have had that feeling, but I know there is still much room for improvement, which is a positive thing," celebrated in statements captured by ATP the man who will return to action these days at the Masters 1000 in Shanghai.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Fils sube de nivel: “Poco a poco voy construyendo mi tenis”