Arthur Fils reaches first Masters 1000 final at Cincinnati Open

In the middle of a tense, erratic start to a rain-delayed semi-final day in Cincinnati, Arthur Fils found himself locked in defence and miles behind the baseline on his serve at 3-3. He scurried from sideline to sideline, lunging toward the ball at full stretch, seemingly with no real chance of turning things around. As Flavio Cobolli swept to the net with the intention of finishing Fils off, however, the Italian soon learned that his opponent had another gear to reach. From far wide of the court, Fils pulverised a forehand passing shot winner beyond his astounded opponent, drawing a roar from the crowd.

That one point alone provided evidence of the athleticism, explosiveness and sheer audacity that have long marked Fils as such a rare, exciting talent, and it also set the tone for a monumental victory. From that moment onwards, Fils took control of the match and he marched into his first Masters 1000 final at the Cincinnati Open with a supreme performance, defeating Cobolli, the No 7 seed, 6-3, 6-4.

Fils has now reached a final, two semi-finals and two other quarter-finals in his five completed Masters 1000 tournaments this year. He also won his fourth title at the Barcelona Open 500 event and he has won four of his last six matches against top 10 opponents. As he seeks his first Masters 1000, he now sits at No 6 in the race to the ATP Finals. He will rise to a career high ranking of No 11.

Fils has played some incredible tennis this year, and it is far from surprising for such a talented 22-year-old player taking the next step in his career. His problem, simply, is how infrequently he has been able to play. In spring last year, Fils suffered a stress fracture in his back that forced him to retire from Roland Garros, his home grand slam tournament, and essentially sidelined him for nine months. During his time away, Fils made countless changes to his game, including altering his forehand and serve technique, learning how to slide into his backhand on hard courts and dropping weight.

He returned to competition a far better player, producing the best tennis of his career early in his comeback. However, just as it seemed like he had found his way back, his body betrayed him again. A week after his run to the Madrid Open semi-final, Fils suffered a hip injury at the beginning of his opening round match at the Italian Open that forced him to again withdraw from Roland Garros. His performances this season showed beyond doubt that he was capable of achieving great things, but it remained unclear if his body would allow it. “I was feeling great, but you just got to take it,” he said. “Some things are happening for a purpose. It’s OK.”

Fils’ minimal preparation was reflected in his second-round loss at Wimbledon. After that, it was again time for him to rebuild his form, level and physicality. As at the beginning of the season, it is a reflection of Fils’ talent that it has taken him no time at all to find his best level again. One of the most impressive aspects of these comebacks have been the positivity he has maintained throughout. “If I’m sad, there is no way I can make it,” he said. “If I’m positive, then I give myself a shot, at least. When I’m sad, if I’m going crying into my bed, there is no way I can wake up and play some good tennis. If I’m going happy and blessed that now I’m able to play tennis, then after, it’s working well.”

In his last three matches, dominant straight sets wins over the fifth seed, Alex de Minaur, Thiago Agustín Tirante, Novak Djokovic’s conqueror, and Cobolli, Fils’s level has been immaculate. In terms of its immense speed and wicked spin, his forehand is the heaviest groundstroke in the game. He has spent the past 10 days demolishing the ball off both wings and dominating the baseline while also serving well, moving spectacularly and maintaining his composure. At his best, Fils is also one of the most charismatic and extroverted players on the tour, but part of his development has been adopting a more composed approach.

“I’m a bit less crazy,” he said. “Miami was nice, I was in the semis, but I lost so much energy in this tournament. I was screaming ‘Come on’, ‘Vamos’ after every point. Now here it’s completely different. And I think also when you do it, you start to do it a couple of times, the tournaments, those big runs, then you start to get a bit used to [it], and you don’t need any more to go crazy, to pump yourself. I think I’m already pumped enough, especially with my team also.”

A first-time Masters 1000 champion will be crowned on Sunday after Frances Tiafoe defeated the in-form Brandon Nakashima 7-5, 6-3 to reach the Cincinnati Open final for the second time in three years. The final between Fils and Tiafoe will also be the first ever ATP Masters 1000 final between two black players.

Meanwhile, the ultra-strong women’s tournament has been defined by the very best players in the world. The third seed Jessica Pegula narrowly edged out the in-form Iga Swiatek in one of the most memorable matches of the year, returning to the final for the second time in three years with a stellar 7-5, 4-6, 6-4 win.

Pegula had trailed 1-3 in the final set before brilliantly elevating her level and winning five of the final six games. “Just really happy with the way I was able to handle a lot that was going on today,” Pegula said. “It was a lot of back and forth, and I just stay[ed] focused on what I wanted to do to win the match.”

Pegula, the third seed, will face her good friend and former doubles partner Coco Gauff in the final after Gauff, the fourth seed, efficiently ended the breakthrough run of Sara Bejlek with a 6-4, 6-1 win.

Elsewhere, Serena Williams and Carlos Alcaraz will team up in the revamped US Open mixed doubles tournament. The US Open will mark Alcaraz’s first tournament back after a serious wrist injury that sidelined the 23-year-old for four months, while the 44-year-old Williams returned to professional tennis this summer after being retired for four years.

After her singles return at Wimbledon, where she lost in three sets in the first round to Maya Joint and sustained a knee injury, Williams will not compete in singles at the US Open. She is likely to compete in the women’s doubles alongside her sister, Venus, after the pair played together this week in Cincinnati.