BBC Sport4/19/2026Sports1 min read

Arthur Fils Claims Barcelona Open Title After Comeback From Injury

21-year-old Frenchman beats Russia's Andrey Rublev in straight sets, marking his first title of 2026

arthur fils andrey rublev barcelona open

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Arthur Fils won the Barcelona Open clay-court title on Sunday, defeating Russia's Andrey Rublev 6-2, 7-6 (7-2).
The 21-year-old Frenchman, returning from a back injury that sidelined him for eight months in 2025, has reached three finals in his last four tournaments since returning in February.
He is set to rise back into the top 25 world rankings.

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Why It Matters

Arthur Fils, a rising French tennis star, suffered a significant back injury that kept him out of competition for eight months during the 2025 season. The 21-year-old has been on a strong comeback trajectory since returning in February 2026, reaching multiple finals and semifinals across tournaments.

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Arthur Fils continued his excellent recent form since returning from long-term injury by winning the clay-court title in Barcelona. The 21-year-old Frenchman beat Russian Andrey Rublev 6-2 7-6 (7-2) in Sunday's final. Fils, who was unable to play during the latter part of the 2025 season because of a back problem, has gone far in several tournaments since returning to the tour in February. After losing to Carlos Alcaraz in the Qatar Open final, he reached the quarter-finals at Indian Wells and the last four in Miami. Fils, who is set to rise back into the top 25 of the world rankings, said at the trophy presentation: "I want to say a big thank you to my team. It's been eight tough months struggling with injury but we're back on the court and we won the trophy, so I'm pretty happy about that." Rublev told Fils: "The way you are playing, it's ridiculous. You proved that you're one of the best players on the Tour." Meanwhile, Julian Cash and Lloyd Glasspool won the men's doubles, beating France's Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Italy's Andrea Vavassori 6-3 6-4. It is a first title in 2026 for the British pair, who won the men's doubles title at Wimbledon last summer.