Son confesses how he faces the criticism that comes to him from France

Pedro de Pablos | 19 May 2026 | 22.36

The son confesses how he faces the criticisms that come to him from France

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Arthur Fils is one of the standout names of 2026 on the ATP circuit. The French tennis player has made a grand comeback from his back injury, and heading into Roland Garros, he is one of the top contenders to achieve great things. However, despite being the local idol, he also faces harsh criticism from France, which he has revealed helps him to achieve better results.

Fils has a strong personality and is one of the players expected to break the dominance of Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz in the future if his physical condition allows it. Therefore, these criticisms are like a siren song to him, as he displays his best game when things are at their worst. However, in an interview with 'The Guardian,' he also admitted that he reads them and they affect him in one way or another since he is the player expected to bring back major successes for France, carrying the pressure that entails.

"In Barcelona, I saw a guy speaking badly about me: Simon Dutin. I was very pleased to win the title to show him that he was completely wrong. I try not to react to these things, and I try not to see them, but when they affect me, then I have to see them and I have to think about them. I was very surprised by what he said and I didn't like how it was expressed. But when I won the title, it was the best response," stated Fils, who forgives but does not forget.

Fils and a rebellious attitude inherited from his parents

That competitive attitude has been with him since childhood, as he recalls, "in every match, I lost my temper. I would go crazy; I would break the racket, yell, hit the ball off the court... everything. But only because I was losing. I hate losing, so I would get very angry." A warrior mindset he inherited from his father Jean-Philippe, of Haitian descent. "It's a different mentality, not the French mentality. It's tough, very tough. He has been through a lot, so he tried to help me better understand life."

In fact, he prefers people to speak to him directly, which is why he trusts his team so much, recently adding a legend like Goran Ivanisevic. "When something goes wrong on the court, they talk to me frankly, and that helps me. I know that if something is wrong, they won’t say: ‘No, no, it's all fine, just keep going the same way.’ That won't help me. If I have people I can trust, sometimes they will tell me harsh things, they will be tough on me. But if I am mature enough to accept it, then it will help me."

Fearless in facing issues with players like Zverev or Tsitsipas

This rebellious attitude has also led him to have misunderstandings with top players like Alexander Zverev or Stefanos Tsitsipas, something that does not intimidate him in the slightest. "I never back down from a fight; that's how my father raised me. And my mother too. When guys talk to me, we are on equal terms. I am not the kid, and they are not the adults," he firmly states.

He treats advice from others in the tennis world the same way, treading carefully. "Older people will always try to give you lessons. Some are very good, and others are just ego-driven. When it's ego-driven, they simply say it's because you are younger, period. Some tried to rattle me because I was young," he concluded. This is Arthur Fils, a tennis player you either love or hate, but who stirs emotions wherever he goes. Mostly because he is different and necessary for the circuit.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Fils confiesa cómo afronta las críticas que le llegan desde Francia