Fils, victim of the pressure to qualify for the ATP Finals: "It's frustrating"

Diego Jiménez Rubio - 13 Oct 2026 | 08:15
Arthur Fils ATP Rueda de prensa ATP Shanghái 2026 ATP Finals

The Frenchman appeared desperate at the press conference due to his defeat in Shanghai, aware that it could complicate his goal of competing in the ATP Finals.

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Arthur Fils, desperate in Shanghai. Photo: gettyimages

Arthur Fils suffered one of his major disappointments of the season at the ATP Masters 1000 Shanghai 2026 after losing to Botic Van de Zandschulp in the third round, and his appearance in the press conference clearly showed his immense bitterness over this result. Eagerly seeking a ticket to the ATP Finals 2026, the Frenchman was candid about his feelings, as reported by L`Equipe.

Surprises are proliferating in the world of tennis. Some attribute it to the tremendous improvement in the level of the middle class of tennis, others to a supposed inconsistency of the top players, and others, perhaps the most accurate, to a mix of both factors where the speed and physical and mental demands of modern tennis also play a fundamental role. The fact is that Arthur Fils experienced a great disappointment firsthand at the ATP Masters 1000 Shanghai 2026.

The Frenchman is immersed in the always hopeful yet also stressful race to secure a ticket to the ATP Finals 2026. Wanting something too much can lead to excessive pressure and seeing performance decline without an apparent reason. This is common in the final stretch of the season, especially among players who have never participated in the Masters tournament and are vying for that goal, as is the case with Fils.

Fils is seventh in the ATP Race and will fight for his place in the ATP Finals in the coming weeks

"I don’t know if it’s because of Turin or being at the end of the season; it’s probably a bit of everything. I don’t necessarily feel a special pressure, but there are matches where things just don’t go right. If I had played this match ten times, I might have won eight. But today it didn’t go my way," he said after losing to Botic Van de Zandschulp, while his seventh position in the ATP Race was threatened by Medvedev, De Miñaur, and Jódar.

He appeared very nervous, even breaking a racquet during the match. "There was quite a bit of tension and I tried to release it. I had break points again, but I couldn’t take advantage of them. Something similar happened in the second set. I changed my shirt and wristbands to try to start anew. I managed to break back and it seemed like I could have chances. At 3-2 I thought I could catch a break, but things went sideways and I played a very poor game at 3-3," he noted.

Arthur Fils expressed his disappointment in the press conference after falling in Shanghai

"It’s very frustrating. I had many opportunities, but I couldn’t capitalize on them. In some of those, he played very well; in others, it was me who executed poorly. It just didn’t happen. I was almost always trailing on the scoreboard, trying to come back time and again, but today it wasn’t possible," commented a player who is already looking towards the rest of the season. "I have to try to see the glass half full instead of half empty, and that’s what I’m trying to do. I’m going to focus on what’s left because I still have two or three tournaments before the year ends," he concluded.

What's clear is that Arthur Fils must work on managing his emotions much better in the upcoming events. He will head to the European indoor circuit eager to deliver strong performances and will also have to deal with the pressure of being one of the title contenders at the Paris Masters 1000, which involves playing in front of his compatriots. The reward of a ticket to the ATP Finals 2026 deserves one last great effort.

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Fils, víctima de la presión por buscar las ATP Finals: "Es frustrante"