Arthur Fils admits he was taken aback by Jannik Sinner’s level after Madrid loss

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Arthur Fils was the focus heading into the Madrid Open semi-final, with hopes high that he could give Jannik Sinner a real challenge.

But even with his strong play on clay, Fils couldn’t keep up with the world number one, who took care of business in straight sets without much trouble.

There’s been growing talk around Fils being the next player to close the gap between the top two and everyone else, but recent results against Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz suggest there’s still work to be done.

Afterwards, Fils spoke about just what makes it so difficult to keep up with a player at Sinner’s level.

Arthur Fils offers honest assessment after defeat to Sinner in Madrid Open semi-final

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After the match, Fils was asked what stood out most about playing Sinner. He replied with a smile: “My serve.” The numbers backed that up, as he managed just 49% of first serves in and won only 45% of points on his second serve.

The stats supported his view – he landed just 49% of his first serves and won only 45% of points behind his second.

Fils gave credit to Sinner’s game, saying: “He’s a great champion. He hasn’t lost a match since Indian Wells, I think. He’s full of confidence, hitting cleanly from both sides and serving well.”

“The first set was really good for him, tough for me. I had to adjust to his ball speed; it’s different over a full match,” Fils said.

He went on:

“The second set was much better from my side. I had more chances but couldn’t take them. There are plenty of things to look at.”