Son: "I Believe 100% in My Chances Against Alcaraz"

Arthur Fils has made it to the final of the ATP Doha 2026 after defeating Jakub Mensik in two sets, which will allow him to face Carlos Alcaraz after being sidelined from the circuit for several months due to a back injury. Courtside, the French tennis player has shown confidence in his chances against the world number one and has talked about the process he has gone through in recent months to get here.

In May 2025, Fils suffered a back injury at Roland Garros that turned out to be more serious than it initially seemed. He returned at the Toronto Masters 1000 two months later, but realizing he wasn't at 100%, he decided to step away for half a year to regain his form. Three tournaments after his comeback, he has reached his first final after almost a year and a half and has vowed to give everything to beat Carlos Alcaraz, whom he hasn't managed to defeat in the two matches they have played.

It is true that those two encounters were on clay, and this week he has been playing exceptional tennis, leading him to believe he can pull off a surprise against the Spanish player. "If you believe it, then maybe it's possible. As for me, I believe 100% in my chances in the final against Carlos Alcaraz. I will step onto the court to fight," he stated. Now that Goran Ivanisevic has joined the circuit as his new coach and he is back to his old self, the sky's the limit for the 21-year-old French player.

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Arthur Fils talks about the ordeal he has experienced with his back injury

Before getting injured, Arthur Fils was ranked number 14 in the ATP rankings and was aiming high, so if he continues in this dynamic, he will soon be back in the mix for the top 10. It's all the result of a job well done after going through the toughest months of his short career. "Eight months without playing, watching the other players, and staying in bed... It has been a long and tough test. But today, the comeback is even sweeter. For me, being in the final means a lot," he revealed.

Starting Monday, at a minimum Fils will advance to the 33rd position in the rankings, and if he beats Alcaraz, he could climb up to 26th. This is just in three tournaments played since his return, even after an early loss in the first round in Rotterdam. Today against Mensik, he demonstrated an unusual solidity for a player who has been away from the courts for so long, so the Spanish player will need to come out focused from the start to prevent a rebellion from the Frenchman and try to win the Doha title for the first time.

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Fils: "Creo al 100% en mis posibilidades contra Alcaraz"