Marion Bartoli points out where Arthur Fils went wrong in loss to Jannik Sinner

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Jannik Sinner is through to the Madrid Open final after seeing off Arthur Fils 6-2, 6-4.

Both came into the match unbeaten on clay this season, but it was Sinner who kept that run going in Spain.

It’s another step up for Sinner, who has been in strong form this year.

After the match, former Wimbledon champion Marion Bartoli pointed out a key mistake from Fils:

Arthur Fils goes ‘too fast too soon’ against Jannik Sinner, according to Marion Bartoli

Photo by DIMITAR DILKOFF/AFP via Getty Images

Bartoli, speaking on Sky Sports after the match, gave her assessment of what went wrong for the Frenchman.

“It was a bit of a repeat of the Doha final against Carlos Alcaraz, where he goes too fast too soon,” she said.

“You feel he is not used to that pace, that rush.

“You feel like he was on the back foot almost constantly for the first 25 minutes.

“And on that surface and court, it just goes everywhere, and then on top of that you are feeling the pressure of your opponent who frankly does not give you anything.”

Bartoli has pointed out before how Fils needs to slow down his game in order to compete with top-level opposition.

During commentary at Indian Wells earlier this year, she made similar comments about his style and approach:

“He’s a player who wants everything quickly; he doesn’t necessarily want to be in long rallies or play slowly.”

Fleming added: “It was like he was overplaying on that forehand; he didn’t bring that strength.”

And if Jannik Sinner wins again in Madrid this year, he will open up a 10,000+ point gap to Felix Auger-Aliassime – which is further proof of how far ahead they are.

Arthur Fils sets sights on Italian Open after Madrid setback

Fils is set to get back on the court at the Italian Open next week.

The 21-year-old made it to the fourth round of the Italian Open last year, picking up wins over Tallon Griekspoor and Stefanos Tsitsipas before falling to Alexander Zverev.

This time around, he’ll be looking to go even further. The field is tough, but there’s a good chance Jannik Sinner could sit out as he recovers from an injury picked up in Madrid.

Sinner won’t want to miss his home tournament, but with the French Open coming up soon, he might decide it’s better not to risk it. If that happens, Fils would have a real shot at going deep into the draw.

Over recent months, Fils has put together a strong run of results at this level. He hasn’t captured a title yet, but he’s knocking on the door.

The 2026 Italian Open gets underway on Tuesday, May 5th. Fils will be hoping this is where his breakthrough finally comes.

Read more:

• Alexander Zverev opens up on friendship with Flavio Cobolli
• Carlos Alcaraz’s message to Marion Bartoli before watching his brother play at the Madrid Open
• What Arthur Fils should focus on next after defeat to Jannik Sinner at the Madrid Open