Some tennis players win matches. Some win trophies. And then there is Arthur Fils, who appears to be making a very serious bid for the gay tennis fan’s entire attention span.
At just 22, the French star has already assembled a dangerously effective combination: a flashy game, a powerful forehand, a talent for making impossible shots look suspiciously easy and the sort of charisma that makes you wonder why you suddenly care so much about the Cincinnati Open.
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Oh, and the abs. Let’s not bury the lede.
@bcnopenbs 💪🏼💪🏼💪🏼 @Arthurfils
Fils has spent the season reminding tennis fans that watching sport can be a multisensory experience. His game is powerful and explosive, built around heavy topspin and a booming forehand that arrives with the subtlety of a tax bill. His personality brings a little more sparkle to the proceedings, giving him the kind of presence that can turn “I’ll watch one set” into “Wait, when does Arthur play again?”
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For the gays, naturally, this is a public service. And Fils has given us plenty of material.
Fils Came to Cincinnati and Chose Violence
His biggest title yet came in Cincinnati, where he stormed through a loaded draw to win the biggest trophy of his career. Fils defeated Jiri Lehecka, Alex de Minaur, Thiago Agustin Tirante and Flavio Cobolli before reaching the ATP Masters 1000 final. Then he faced Frances Tiafoe.
Fils won 6-3, 1-6, 6-0, claiming his first Masters 1000 title and making history along the way. It was the first ATP Masters 1000 final between two Black men, giving an already significant victory an important place in tennis history.
So, yes, there was plenty to celebrate. And Fils has already demonstrated that he knows how to celebrate.
Then Fils Took His Shirt Off
Earlier this year, after one of the most chaotic matches of the season against Tommy Paul in Miami, Fils gave fans another reason to keep their eyes firmly on the court. He survived four match points and came back from 2-6 down in the deciding-set tiebreak to win 6-7(3), 7-6(4), 7-6(6).
Then came the celebration. Fils pulled his shirt over his head before pounding his chest and grinning toward his team.
Was the victory itself impressive? Absolutely. Was the shirt situation a completely unnecessary but deeply appreciated contribution to tennis? Also absolutely. Gay tennis fans, after all, are nothing if not committed to their research. And Fils has details.
There is something particularly delightful about watching a player with his level of power move around the court. The forehand is vicious. The footwork is quick. The confidence is increasingly obvious. Then, occasionally, the shirt gets involved, and suddenly everyone remembers that tennis has always been a spectator sport.
The Abs Are Fun, But Fils Can Actually Play
But Fils isn’t just serving face. There is a genuinely impressive comeback story underneath all that.
Fils was steadily rising up the rankings until last summer, when he suffered a lower-back injury. Luckily for tennis fans, he came back playing better than ever. By the time he arrived in Cincinnati, he looked ready to cause problems. He proceeded to cause quite a few.
@bcnopenbs Arthur Fils. Nothing else. #barcelona #fyp #france
The Masters 1000 title added a very big trophy to his already impressive young résumé. Suddenly, the question wasn’t whether he could compete with the biggest names in tennis. It was whether he could become one of them.
New York Was Supposed to Be His Moment
That made the U.S. Open a particularly juicy opportunity. Unfortunately, the U.S. Open did not give us the extended Fils residency we were hoping for. Stefanos Tsitsipas knocked him out in the first round, coming back from a set down to beat the No. 10 seed 4-6, 7-6(3), 6-1, 6-4. Rude, frankly.
Still, one early exit does not erase what he accomplished in Cincinnati. He arrived in New York as a newly crowned Masters 1000 champion, having just beaten Tiafoe in a historic final and established himself as one of the most watchable young players on tour.
The Arthur Fils Era Has Entered the Chat
The U.S. Open may have ended his latest run, but his era is only getting started.
The Cincinnati trophy proved he can win big. The forehand proved he can hit hard. The personality proved he can put on a show.
And the abs? Well. We have eyes.