Fils learns from his defeat against Jódar in Montreal: "I took it very personally"
The French tennis has acknowledged that its second consecutive setback against the Spaniard has helped it to bring out its best version in Cincinnati.
Arthur Fils is excelling in tennis at the ATP Cincinnati 2026, where he is already in the quarterfinals after a dominant victory over Alex De Miñaur with a great performance. However, despite the good results this week, the French player still has in mind the match he lost to Rafa Jódar at the Masters 1000 in Montreal last week, which he has acknowledged helped him improve despite the frustration it caused him.
This year Fils and Jódar have faced each other 3 times. The first was in the semifinals of the ATP Barcelona, where Arthur eliminated the Spaniard in 3 sets on his way to winning the title. However, both in Washington and Montreal, it was Rafa who came out on top with two great performances in which he didn't lose a set. After defeating De Miñaur, Fils went to the Tennis Channel studio and spoke about it.
"This was tough. To be honest, I took it really personally because I came out prepared and ready to play well and fight. I had some opportunities and was very angry after that match. But it also gave me motivation for the next week. I told myself, 'well, I didn't play my best tennis, but I came out prepared.' I saw that I couldn't win and thought about doing my best training. Here we are, in the quarterfinals in Cincinnati", he acknowledged.
Fils, an example for the kids who follow him
Regarding the match against De Miñaur, the French player admitted that "it was a tough match. Alex came focused to the court, hitting hard and fast. I was feeling good under pressure, and I just had to stay focused to take the victory. I was impressed by my game today, to be honest. At some points, I was like, 'ok, I can do this, I didn't know' (laughs). I just tried to be more patient because against De Miñaur, if you try to go too fast, it's impossible. He moves quickly; he's going to counterattack me. So, yes, I tried to be as smart as I could today, and I did pretty well."
Moreover, Fils left an important reflection regarding the fame he has gained lately and how he wants to be a role model for the young people who follow him. "When you start being a role model for kids and fans, you have to be more careful with what you do. You have to be a good example. It's not a mistake, but having a lot of fun with my friends or going out... You can go sometimes, of course, but you have to be careful. Especially now, you have your phone everywhere.
Kids before, 20 years ago, didn't have phones and were having a great time. Now everything you do is on social media. Many kids look up to you, and you have to be mindful of them. You don't want them to make the same mistakes you did. You want them to be as good as you and be a good example for them. That's what I try to do. My mom will keep me in check regarding that. I definitely don't want to see her angry," he concluded. Undoubtedly, Fils is slowly becoming one of the most prominent and important players on the circuit, and this very morning he will face Thiago Agustín Tirante for a spot in the semifinals.
This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Fils aprende de su derrota ante Jódar en Montreal: "Me lo tomé muy personal"