Tennis: Fifteen days before Roland

Major setback for Arthur Fils. The French number 1 and 17th in the world, suffered a hip injury and was forced to retire during his debut at the Masters 1000 in Rome on Saturday, May 9, just two weeks before the start of Roland Garros (May 24-June 7). The 21-year-old Frenchman threw in the towel during the fifth game of the match, the second round, after just 22 minutes against Italian Andrea Pellegrino, ranked 155th, who was leading 4-0 at the time.

After the third game, he called for the tournament’s medical staff. Following a brief discussion, during which he pointed to his own back, the ATP physiotherapist led him under the stadium stands to provide treatment out of sight.

Returning to the court, Arthur Fils quickly conferred with his team before resuming the match. He lost the fourth game, began to serve, and after being down 15-30, he made a gesture of frustration towards his team. He then headed towards his chair, threw his wristband, shook hands with the referee, then his opponent, before promptly leaving the court.

“I felt a pain in my hip during the second game. I called the physio to try and get treatment, but it didn’t work. Unfortunately, I had to stop shortly after,” he explained in a brief statement provided by the organizers of the world circuit. “These things happen. Now, I will undergo treatment, talk with the team, and we will make decisions. I just didn’t want to take any risks before Roland, and that’s why I made this decision,” he added.

Arthur Fils had been away from the courts for eight months from August 2025 to February 2026 to treat his back. Since his return to competition, he has won a title in Barcelona, reached a final in Doha, and made it to the semifinals of the Masters 1000 in Miami and Madrid.