Arthur Fils has made a significant change to his team by pairing up with two coaches who have a wealth of experience.
The 19-year-old Frenchman will begin the 2024 season under the guidance of Sebastian Grosjean who has decided to step down from his role as captain of his country’s Davis Cup team to focus on his new role. Grosjean is a former world No.4 player who reached seven Grand Slam semi-finals during his career. He has previously coached Richard Gasquet and also had a brief stint with Nick Kyrgios on a part-time basis.
“It is with great emotion but also great excitement that I am preparing to open this new chapter alongside Arthur Fils,” Grosjean said in a statement published by the French Tennis Federation (FFT).
“Arthur is an exceptional player with immense potential, and I am confident that our collaboration will be fruitful. I have warm thoughts for the players and staff of the France team, with whom I had the pleasure of living unforgettable moments, and to whom I wish all the success they deserve in competition.”
Also joining Fils’ team will be two-time French Open champion Sergi Brugera who has previously mentored Alexander Zverev and Gasquet. He has also previously served as the Spanish Davis Cup captain.
The appointment of Grosjean and Brugera comes during what has been a breakout season for Fils who has risen more than 200 places in the rankings since January to inside the world’s top 40. In May he won his first ATP title at the Lyon Open where he beat Francisco Cerundolo in the final. More recently, he beat Stefanos Tsitsipas at the European Open to reach the final. The only other top 10 payer he has beaten so far this season was Casper Ruud in Hamburg.
“After several years within the FFT, I am announcing today the start of a new era,” the world No.38 wrote in an Instagram story. “I’m very grateful for the progress I have made and I would like to thank all the federation teams who have supported me so far. A special thank you to Laurent Raymond (his former coach) for his support and valuable advice.”
Fils is set to return to action later this week at the Vienna Open where he has been handed a tough first round clash against top seed Daniil Medvedev. He is currently the third highest-ranked French player on the ATP Tour after Adrian Mannarino and Ugo Humbert.
