Arthur Fils follows in Yannick Noah’s footsteps, joins Indian Wells QF | ATP Tour
match report
Phils follows in Noah’s footsteps, joins Indian Wells QF
Frenchman advances to fourth Masters 1000 QF
March 10, 2026
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Arthur Fells plays at Indian Wells on Tuesday.
Sam Jacott
Arthur Fiers became the third Frenchman to reach the quarterfinals in a row when he beat ninth-seeded Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime 6-3, 7-6(9) at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells on Tuesday.
In a dramatic second set, Fiers squandered a 4-2 lead before coming back from 0/5 in the tie-break to save five set points and win in straight sets after 1 hour and 51 minutes. The 21-year-old celebrated by slapping his chest after the win and then embraced the cheers of the crowd.
“I was 0-5 in the tie-break, and I was walking to my box, complaining and complaining. Ivan [Cinkus] Try telling me to stay focused then Lapo [Becherini] “He told me to stop complaining,” Fiers said. “Then a little voice in my head said maybe he’s right and I should focus again, and I tried to get him to serve. “I tried to focus as hard as I could. Not a lot of emotion, celebration. It’s just tunnel vision and I’m fine with that. “
Fiers reached his first ATP Masters 1000 quarter-final in California 12 months ago. The 21-year-old has battled back injuries since then and missed last season’s grass swing before having his season cut short in early August after a third-round exit in Toronto.
The three-time Tour winner returned in Montpellier last month and has impressed so far in his comeback. He reached the final of the ATP 500 event in Doha and performed well in his first match in Indian Wells.
The PIF ATP Ranking No. 32 didn’t drop a set against Marton Fucsovics and Dino Prizmic, and he combined strength with grit to defeat Auger-Aliassime. Fiers now has eight top-10 wins, his first since defeating Andrei Rublev in Monte Carlo in 2025, according to the Infosys ATP Win-Loss Index.
“[I am most pleased] “Fiers said. “Everyone performed well at the beginning of the match, and everyone can play great tennis. But when it matters most, that’s when you see that you’re either a great competitor or you’re going to back off, and today I showed that I’m a great competitor.”
Fiers reached the quarterfinals of Indian Wells for the second consecutive year, becoming the third Frenchman to achieve the feat after 1982 champion Yannick Noah (1982-84, 1986-87) and Thierry Tourasnet (1986-87). Fiers will face either Alexander Zverev or Frances Tiafoe in the quarterfinals.
