PARIS — Arthur Fils announced his withdrawal from the French Open on Saturday due to a stress fracture in his lower back, with the injury possibly keeping him from competing in Wimbledon as well. The 14th seed, who was the final French player remaining in the tournament, made the decision to step back in consultation with his team, as pushing the injury could result in a prolonged absence of two months.
Fils, 20, explained, “We decided with the team it was better to stop now, because if I’m stopping now, I could stop for only four to six weeks. If I was pushing myself too much, I would probably stop for a couple of months…. Had to make a choice.” He had previously withdrawn from the tournament on Friday but had not provided details about his health until the news conference.
Consequently, Andrey Rublev, who was seeded 17th, progressed to the fourth round by walkover. The decision comes after Fils struggled with consistent back pain, which significantly worsened during his intense five-set match against Jaume Munar on Thursday. Reflecting on the ordeal, Fils said, “I gave everything. I couldn’t go for more. At the end of the second set, I could feel that the back was not good at all.”
Fortunately, Fils mentioned that surgery is not required for his condition. While he anticipates missing some upcoming tournaments, he is hopeful about recovering in time for Wimbledon, the next Grand Slam event, which is set to commence on June 30.