Son explains: “I stopped watching tennis because I just wanted to be there”

Arthur Fils is smiling again. The French tennis player has returned to the circuit after being sidelined for six months due to a back injury, displaying great tennis at the ATP Montpellier. Just hours before playing at the ATP Rotterdam, the French player clarified his controversial words where he stated he wasn’t watching tennis, and he also revealed the ordeal he has gone through in recent months.

His comeback has been much better than expected, as he managed to reach the quarterfinals in his home country despite not competing since August 2025. It was after one of his victories when he acknowledged that he found out about Carlos Alcaraz’s win at the Australian Open, but he hardly watched tennis beyond the matches of Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard, Alejandro Davidovich, and Ben Shelton. However, days later, he explained the reason for this initiative, closely related to his physical struggles.

“There came a time when I completely stopped watching tennis because I just wanted to be out there. When you can’t be out there and you’re watching the matches, it’s more painful. You feel like you’re missing out every week. It was a real challenge, and sometimes I felt a bit lonely,” he revealed. Fils didn’t stop watching tennis out of preference but out of the frustration of going from being in the top 15 to watching his career come to an abrupt halt. Dealing with enough mental battles in his head made watching more negative stimuli on TV unnecessary.

Fils explains his absence from the Australian Open

The recovery went as expected, and the smartest decision Fils made was not to return prematurely. The French player chose to miss the Australian Open to give his body more time, a decision he appreciates. “We had to take our time. My team and I were very cautious because the back is a very important area. We needed to strengthen it gradually, it didn’t make sense to rush it,” he acknowledged.

It’s tough when an injury of this magnitude knocks on your door at your peak, but if there’s one thing that stands out about Arthur, it’s his mindset. “You have to think about past accomplishments to move forward. I knew I was playing really well in tennis before getting injured, and I had already done some good things on the Tour. So I told myself, ‘You just have to wait, take your time, and when you come back, you’ll play as well as before’.”

Fils acknowledges the supportive messages from fellow circuit players

That mindset is also what has led the Frenchman not to get carried away by the performance shown in Montpellier, as right now the results are less important. “The most important thing was to see how I felt physically. After eight months, the first match is never easy, but I felt good physically and mentally. I received many supportive messages from my friends on the Tour, it meant a lot. And it was very nice to see them all again, especially in the locker room. You realize how much you missed those little details when you come back.”

If he manages to rediscover his best form, Fils will undoubtedly be one of the rivals to beat in 2026 once he picks up the competitive rhythm again. Currently ranked 42nd, the French player has had the misfortune of facing Alex de Miñaur, the number one seed, in the first round of the ATP Rotterdam. However, this also has a positive side, as it will help him assess his current level and gain momentum against one of the world’s best tennis players.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Fils se explica: “Dejé de ver tenis porque solo quería estar ahí”