Arthur Fils missed almost the entire second half of the 2025 tennis season with a stress fracture in his lower back. He withdrew from the French Open prior to round three and played only one more event the entire year.
Already struggling with a back problem heading into Roland Garros, Fils defeated Nicolas Jarry in four sets before surviving an epic five-setter against Jaume Munar. The 21-year-old was unable to take the court against Andrey Rublev two days later.
Fils returned at the Toronto Masters in late July, when he beat Pablo Carreno Busta and then lost to Jiri Lehecka. The Frenchman did not play another match in 2025.
“Even injured, I beat Jarry and Munar in a tough match,” Fils reflected in a recent interview with the French media outlet 20 minutes. “I proved things to myself. But with a bit more experience, I would make the decision not to play in the tournament.
“I went to play in Toronto. Unfortunately, I might have come back a little too soon. So after that, we took our time. We decided it was better not to play the end of the season and to completely rebuild my body, especially my back.”
Ranked 14th during the French Open and now down to No. 40, Fils is unsure when he will be ready to come back in 2026. But he also isn’t worrying about it.
“The most important thing now is the upcoming training period,” he noted. “It’s going to be about continuing to work hard, training well both therapeutically and physically — continuing with treatment. But I don’t have a date yet. Frankly, that’s not the most important thing.
“Honestly, [recovery] is going really well. Obviously you have to be patient; it takes time. But everything is fine.”