Arthur Fils battles through three-set thriller in emotional Montpellier return
Arthur Fils beat Valentin Royer 7-6 (7), 6-7 (4), 6-2 on Tuesday evening. He’ll play the winner of the match between Italian Andrea Vavassori and Frenchman Ugo Blanchet in the next round
Arthur Fils, Montpellier 2026 | © JB Autissier / Occitanie Open
Arthur Fils marked his long-awaited return to the ATP Tour with a grueling 7-6(7), 6-7(4), 6-2 victory over compatriot Valentin Royer on Tuesday evening. The 21-year-old Frenchman, seeded No 6 and currently ranked No 42, showed both the rust and the resilience expected of a player competing in his first professional match since last August.
In a clash that lasted over two and a half hours at the Sud de France Arena, Fils had to dig deep against the world No 56, saving a crucial set point in the opening tiebreak (6-5 against him) before dominating the deciding set.
Fils : “the signals are green”
The victory is a significant milestone for Fils, who spent the last six months sidelined by a stress fracture in his back. The injury forced him to miss the end of the 2025 season after the Canadian Open and skip the 2026 Australian Open to ensure a full recovery. Speaking to the crowd in Montpellier, a city where he reached the semi-finals in 2023, Fils expressed his relief: “I feel a lot of joy and happiness. I am back, so that means all the signals are green, both mentally and physically.”
Fils has undergone a rigorous rehabilitation process, even launching a “Renaissance” vlog series to document his journey back to 100% fitness. “I’m 21, I still have around 10 to 15 years of career ahead, so it’s not a race,” he noted recently regarding his cautious comeback. Despite the long layoff, the Frenchman looked explosive in the third set, breaking Royer twice to secure his 50th career tour-level hard-court win.
Next up for the young star is a round of 16 encounter against the winner of the match between Italian qualifier Andrea Vavassori and French lucky loser Ugo Blanchet. With top seeds like Felix Auger-Aliassime looming in the draw, Fils will need to recover quickly for another test of his physical durability.
