Arthur Fils reflects on long road back: ‘It was very mental’ | ATP Tour

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Phils reflects on long road back: ‘It was very mental’

Frenchman out for eight months with back injury

February 9, 2026

In Rotterdam, Arthur Fels’ smile said it all.

After months away from the Tour with a stress fracture in his lower back and months of recovery, doubt and patience tested, the Frenchman is back where he belongs, ready to race, chase wins and feel the buzz of the sport again.

“It’s been a very, very long time, about eight months actually, so I’m excited to be back,” Fiers told ATPTour.com. “It feels so good. Feeling the excitement, the crowd, the atmosphere again. I’m ready.”

Fiers’ injury issues began during the 2025 clay court season when he suffered a stress fracture in his back at Roland Garros in May. The issue forced him to withdraw from his hometown major before the third round and miss the grass swing entirely. He made a brief return to Toronto in early August, where he played two games and earned a win, but his return proved to be premature.

The 21-year-old’s back wasn’t quite ready for the demands of the tour and he subsequently spent a lengthy period on the sidelines before finally returning at the ATP 250 event in Montpellier last week, where he reached the quarter-finals.

For a player accustomed to establishing a rhythm through games, the months away were especially difficult. The physical demands of recovery are high, but the mental challenge of missing out and watching others play is even more severe.

“It’s very mental, to be honest,” Fiers said. “It was more about being on the sidelines than the pain itself. At one point I stopped watching tennis altogether because I just wanted to be there. It’s even more painful when you can’t be there to watch. You feel like you’re missing out on something every week. I found it a real challenge and a bit lonely at times.”

Over time, Phils focused on the long term. Together with his team, he resisted the temptation to rush back and instead committed to a careful and methodical recovery process.

“We have to take our time,” Fiers said. “We build strength in the gym first and then slowly get back on the court. My team and I are very careful because the back is a major area. We need to build strength slowly and do a lot of strength and flexibility training to build flexibility. There’s no need to rush things.”

On his toughest days, Fiers relies on reminders to remind him of what he has accomplished and why the work was worth it. Before injury halted his momentum, the 21-year-old had climbed to a career-high No. 14 in the PIF ATP Rankings and captured ATP Tour titles in Lyon (2023), Hamburg (2024) and Tokyo (2024).

“You have to consider that and past success to move forward,” Fiers said. “I knew I was playing really good tennis before the injury, and I was already doing some good things on tour. So I told myself, ‘You just have to wait, take your time, and when you come back, you’re going to be playing as good as before.'”

This belief helped him through the final stages of his recovery and his long-awaited return to Montpellier. After nearly eight months away, questions remain about how his body will respond and how quickly his game sharpness will return.

“The most important thing in Montpellier is to see how the body feels,” Fiers said. “The first game after eight months is never easy. You always have doubts. But physically I feel good and mentally I feel good. That’s the biggest positive.”

Fiers gained confidence in himself with quarterfinal wins over Valentin Royer and Ugo Blanchet, but eventual champion Felix Auger-Aliassime proved too strong. Besides the result, returning to the Tour de France has its own significance.

“I’ve received a lot of messages of support from my friends on tour,” Fiers said. “It means a lot. It’s really nice to see everyone again, especially in the locker room. When you come back you realize how much you miss those little things.”

Now in the Netherlands, Fiers continues his comeback at the ATP 500 event in Rotterdam, where he faces top seed and two-time finalist Alex de Minaur. As his body responds well, the focus has shifted to balance, managing expectations and trusting the work that has been done.

“I take it one game at a time,” Fiers said. “My body feels good and that’s the most important thing. I’m ready to play here and really looking forward to it. But I’m also trying to be smart. Don’t stay too long, go back to the hotel, save energy. It’s about finding the right balance.

“I know how hard we worked to come back, so I’m not worried about what’s behind. I’m not stressed. I just feel good to be back playing. I can’t overthink it on the court. I just believe in the job we do.”