Before a training session scheduled for 4 p.m. on court 3 of the Plénitude Arena, Arthur Fils assured “100%” that he would compete in the Masters 1000. According to him, his retirement in Basel, Friday against Taylor Fritz, was a simple precautionary measure.
His physical condition and his participation
“Everything is fine. I feel good, the body is good. From Basel, I returned the same evening and did quite a bit of treatment. Yesterday (Saturday), I was resting. Today, more treatment, then a first field test this afternoon. Everything seems to be in place. My participation is 100% confirmed. »
His abandonment in Basel
“My withdrawal had nothing to do with the prospect of playing Masters. It was just to not aggravate something I thought I had, as a precaution. I quickly spoke to the team about it at the end of the set and we made the decision to stop the match. It was the left leg, in Basel. It's muscular, but everything is fine, nothing to worry about. »
His presumed physical fragility
“I'm starting to know my body better and I know that sometimes you shouldn't push beyond the limits. Otherwise, like last year, I'm going back for eight months (back injury) and that's a shame. I have to be careful, but also understand when I can push. It’s a complicated balance to find on a daily basis. My team helps me with that. There are a lot of young players who get injured, with the schedule, the tournaments, the sequences, the time differences and the high intensity matches. I don't think it's just me. Everyone has the same feeling. »
The impatience to meet the Parisian public again
“This is the first year I’ve played here (at the Plenitude Arena). I haven’t been on the pitch yet, so it’s going to be interesting. Since the start of the season, I have been waiting to play in Paris. I wasn't able to do it at Roland Garros, but I'm looking forward to playing here. I don’t know if the atmosphere is as crazy as at Bercy, but the room is huge. With tense matches and close scores, there will be a great atmosphere. It’s been a long time since I played here, in Paris, a year and a half, I think. I think the public is also waiting for me. The room is huge. Playing in Paris, in front of my family, my friends, at home, there is nothing better. Especially at this exciting end of the season. Public support will help me a lot. »
The race to qualify for the Masters
“I don’t think there’s necessarily more pressure. There's a little more excitement. I try to see the positive side: I'm 22 years old, I have the opportunity to qualify for the Masters, it's very positive. If I don't succeed this year, I will do it in subsequent years. There is definitely a time when I will qualify. It is not an end in itself, although it would be very good this year. I want to and I play well. I don't think my arm is shaking at the end of the season. Indoors, the matches are closer, more close, because everyone serves well and returns well. There are a lot of tie-breaks. I've played quite a few, so there's nothing to worry about. »
The place of 7th player in the world approaching
“If you can compare me to Richie (Gasquet, 7th in the world at his best), it’s very positive. We all know what a great champion he was, the immense career he had. If I manage to get his ranking at 22, I'm pretty happy. I never dreamed of being seventh in the world, I always dreamed of being better. But when you wake up in the morning and tell yourself that there are only six guys ahead of you in the rankings, it's not bad. Afterwards, I try to look higher. »
