Arthur Fils is yet to lose a match on clay this season and is hoping to continue this streak when he faces Jannik Sinner in the semi-finals of the Madrid Open.
The French world No.25 has reached the quarter-finals or better in five consecutive tournaments, with three of those being Masters events (including Madrid). He is currently on a nine-match winning streak after capturing the Barcelona Open title earlier this month. As a result of this run, Fils will enter the top 20 on Monday for the first time since September.
In his latest match in the Spanish capital, Fils defeated Jiri Lehecka 6-3, 6-4 in what was a case of sweet revenge after recently losing to the Czech in Miami. He won 86% of his first service points and didn’t face a break point throughout the match.
“I don’t like it when someone beats me soundly; I think about it a lot,” Fils told L’Equipe.
“When I face that person again, I try to be the best I can be and get my revenge. Today (Wednesday), I succeeded. Sometimes it’s not possible. But in any case, it gives me extra motivation.
“That’s the mindset I want to have: off the court, we’re all friends. But when I step onto the court, I’m not there to be nice.”
Fils’ rise in form follows a frustrating injury-stricken 2025 season. At one stage, he was only able to play one tournament in nine months due to a stress fracture in his lower back before returning in February this year.
“My overall level is very high right now, and so is my confidence,” he states.
“I’ve strung together quite a few wins. Confidence also comes from training—we’re training well and hard. We had a big week of clay-court preparation before playing in Barcelona. When everything clicks like that, you feel better and better.”
The best indication of how high Fils’ level currently is might be on Friday when he faces No.1 Sinner, who is also yet to lose a match on the clay this year. In recent weeks, he has recorded two wins over top 10 players, defeating Lorenzo Musetti in Barcelona and Felix Auger-Aliassime in Indian Wells.
The upcoming clash will be the first time the two have met on the Tour since 2023.
“I hope it’s going to be a good battle. Honestly, I think it’s going to be fun,” Fils previewed.
“I know I can turn matches around like that—I’m capable of it. It’s going to be a high-intensity match.
“He’s playing very well right now. I watched his match against Jodar; it could have gone Jodar’s way quite a few times, but he’s mentally very strong so he held on. I’m going to have to be at my best from start to finish. I’ll get chances; I’ll just have to take them.”
Fils is the first Frenchman to reach the last four in Madrid since Gilles Simon in 2008.
