One month before Roland-Garros, Arthur Fils confirms his return to a very high level. The Frenchman, 30th in the world, qualified this Saturday for the final of the ATP 500 tournament in Barcelona, where he will have the opportunity against Russian Andrey Rublev to win the fourth title of his career.
After delivering a great performance in the quarters against the artist Lorenzo Musetti, a clay court specialist if ever there was one, the French number 2 was this time favorite against the young Spanish hopeful Rafael Jodar (55th), even if the latter is one of the men in form on the circuit at the age of 19. A little tense at the start of the match, he let the first set slip away, before recovering and folding the match like a boss (3-6, 6-3, 6-2). With some very nice points along the way.
“He hits very hard, he has a very heavy ball, so it took me a set and a half to get used to his quality of hitting. I finished very strong, I think I played very well, but he is going to be very difficult to face in the future,” reacted Son.
Our file on Arthur Fils
Facing Rublev, 15th player in the world, the Frenchman will try to win for the third time in his career at an ATP 500. His last trophy dates back to 2024, in Tokyo, before he was sidelined for several months due to a back injury suffered at Roland in 2025. He had to wait a little longer than expected to return, but Fils is showing that it was worth being cautious.
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