Arthur Fils, a year of firsts

Arthur Fils is on another level. The 18-year-old Frenchman, who shone in the junior ranks, has been making waves on the professional circuit since the start of the 2023 season and, like Carlos Alcaraz in 2021 and Holger Rune in 2022, stands out for showing real talent at a young age. He's already in the top 100, has his first ATP title, and is in the process of playing his first French Open... The kid from department 91 (Paris region) still has a lot to learn, but he's already progressing at breakneck speed.

Arthur Fils, winner of the Junior French Open in 2021 along with Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard and singles finalist at the same tournament the same year, had already wowed everyone in the youth category before exploding onto the professional circuit. He made a name for himself in 2020 by winning the Orange Bowl, considered the most prestigious tournament on the junior circuit. And since January 2023, Arthur Fils has been steadily rising to prominence with a string of firsts under the wing of the experienced Laurent Raymond. 252nd in the world at the start of 2023, the Frenchman decided to kick off his season at the Oeiras challenger. It was a choice that paid off. The young man from Bondoufle, near Paris, dominated and won the tournament. This earned him his first career title in the south of Portugal. It was a great way to pick up points and build confidence ahead of the rest of the season.

A proponent of the Aero 98 and RPM Blast, Arthur Fils uses exactly the same equipment as... Carlos Alcaraz and Holger Rune

Arthur Fils is a true delight to behold on the court. With a very powerful serve and impressive physique for an 18-year-old (6 foot, 13 stone), he plays a very aggressive, forward-thinking game. It's a style that is well supported by his racquet, the Babolat Pure Aero 98, featuring RPM Blast strings. Carlos Alcaraz and Holger Rune play with this same set in fact, which enables tennis players to use a range of effects while retaining maximum control.

A very early entry into the top 100

Already heralded as the future of French tennis, Arthur Fils isn't putting any pressure on himself about taking over from the Jo-Wilfried Tsonga generation: "I'm going to try to live up to them, but I don't want to pressure myself too much about all that. However, I'm definitely going to go all out to get as far as possible" admitted Arthur frankly after getting his first ATP title in Lyon in May 2023. The day after winning his first title, Arthur Fils' incredible play broke him into the top 100 for the first time in his career. It was a day to make his family and parents proud. His father in particular, a former national basketball player, has always been in the front row for his recent performances. Both in Montpellier, when he reached his first semi-final on the ATP circuit, and in Marseille, when the Frenchman proved his mettle by also reaching the same stage in the competition in the process.

The first player born after 2004 to win an ATP tournament

After winning his title in Lyon, Arthur Fils broke a number of records: at the age of 18 years, 11 months and 15 days, he became the youngest Frenchman to win an ATP Tour tournament since 2005. It was also the first time since June 2022 that a wild-card player, entered by the tournament organisers, won an ATP tournament final. And lastly, he is the third player from the 2003-2004 generation to win on the ATP circuit after... Carlos Alcaraz and Holger Rune. Just 48 hours after his triumph, Arthur Fils was already in Paris to contest the first Grand Slam of his promising career. And despite losing in the first round, his opponent, ranked 34th in the world, admitted on court after their match that he was sure to become "the best player in the world". The future looks very bright for Babolat players...

Team babolat pro players may play with a customized or different model than the equipment depicted.