Climbing the ATP rankings is an extremely demanding and arduous endeavor, even for those with a high level of motivation. The players must compete in events run by the ITF, ATP, and WTA in order to earn ranking points. And since everyone is almost always performing at their absolute best, winning each round of those tournaments is, of course, the most difficult part of the process. Then, according to a scoring system, they are rated based on their 18 best performances from the previous 52 weeks.
So, when French player Arthur Fils surmounted all those difficulties and climbed as many as 213 spots in just one year, it was widely praised.
Arthur Fils vs. Mark Lajal
The Frenchman was new to the ATP 250 hard court, but he cruised through all the challenges and booked a spot in the quarterfinals.
On Wednesday, 251st-ranked player Arthur Fils played against Estonian tennis player Mark Lajal at the European Open in Antwerp, Belgium. In a nail-biting bout, Fils fought off his equally strong foe on the court for one hour and fifty-nine minutes and prevailed with a 7-6(4), 7-6(2) victory.
Following his win, Fils is now set to progress to the next round, his fifth 2023 quarterfinal, where he will face the eight-seed, Peruvian tennis player Juan Pablo Rivera.
Fils’ breakthrough announced on Social Media X
After edging Lajal at the European Open, The Tennis Letter shared the news, and his improvement on the rankings on X:
Via The Tennis Letter: “Arthur Fils d. Mark Lajal 7-6(4) 7-6(2) in Antwerp. What Arthur’s been able to do this season deserves our attention. He started the year ranked #251 in the world. He’s now ranked #38.
✅5th QF of 2023. Expect a big season from him next year. This kid can play. 😮💨”
Arthur Fils d. Mark Lajal 7-6(4) 7-6(2) in Antwerp
What Arthur’s been able to do this season deserves our attention.
He started the year ranked #251 in the world.
He’s now ranked #38.
✅5th QF of 2023
Expect a big season from him next year.
This kid can play. 😮💨
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) October 18, 2023
Fans then commented under the post to express their thoughts; one X user asked, “The next Tsonga?”, pertaining to the former world No. 5 French tennis player, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, who won as many as 18 singles titles. While another stated, “Prime candidate for newcomer of the year /most improved?”.
At the young age of 19, Fils has achieved remarkable success in only his second year of playing professional tennis. He managed to break through the top-50 ranking on the ATP, the list that’s widely regarded as the pinnacle of men’s tennis.
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The photo above is from a YouTube screengrab