It’s been a tough run for Arthur Fils this season. Despite his rise in performance and reaching the third round of the French Open for the first time, he’s battling a lingering back injury.

He passed the first round with ease. But in the second round against Spain’s Jaume Munar, the Frenchman was visibly in pain. After leading by two sets, he called for a medical timeout (MTO). Still, he won the match 7-6 (7-3), 7-6 (7-4), 2-6, 0-6, 6-4. While it’s a big step for the young talent, it seems like his third round might not be in the books.

On Friday, the 20-year-old was scheduled to face Andrey Rublev on Court Suzanne Lenglen. But heavy news came via The Tennis Letter on X: “Arthur Fils has withdrawn from the 3rd round of Roland Garros due to injury. Andrey Rublev advances to the Round of 16. Sad way for Arthur to go out of his home Slam. Hopefully, he gets some rest and is ready for the grass.” It’s a tough moment for the young Frenchman.

This isn’t the first withdrawal from the Frenchman this season. In February, he confirmed he was pulling out of the ATP 250 tournament in Marseille. And after that, the 20-year-old also had to withdraw from the ATP 500 event in Doha, putting his early-season plans on ice. Not to mention, after his R2 match, he received criticism from his opponent.

After the intense five-set thriller, Munar didn’t hold back during the post-match press conference. He openly questioned Fils’ injury, saying, “If you have a real injury, you don’t play the fifth set like he did… I saw him drinking pickle juice in the last sets.” He added, “He was attended by the doctor due to an alleged back injury, but I am convinced what he suffered were cramps. In that case, he couldn’t have been attended. The break didn’t bother me, but that’s the way it is. If you have a real injury, you don’t play the fifth set like he did.”

On the flip side, Fils has been open about his condition and shared a source of inspiration. In his post-match interview, he revealed, “I was in the five-set and I was thinking of Gael,” referring to Gael Monfils. “Gael had to turn around a lot of matches in five sets. So I thought, Arthur, this is yours. You have to do the same. Go for it.”

Now that Arthur Fils is out of the French Open, will he come back stronger in the grass court season? Only time will tell. He has been vocal about his aspirations to win a Grand Slam.

Arthur Fils reveals his dream as a tennis player

Last year at Roland Garros, the young Frenchman was asked about his biggest dream in tennis. Without missing a beat, he said, “I want to win a Grand Slam. It doesn’t have to be at Roland-Garros; I just want to win a Grand Slam. It’s what we all dream of.” Though he bowed out early in 2024 against Italy’s Matteo Arnaldi, this year has felt different. His toughness and fight in the first two matches have really grabbed attention.

Speaking with Olympics.com, Fils described his style as “polarizing.” He said, “Either you like me or not, I’ll be watched anyway. I like to be explosive when I play, I love to enjoy the moments I spend on court, to have as much fun as possible, and smile every time.” Experts are fans too. Coco Gauff’s former coach Brad Gilbert said, “I like his game. He plays big for his size. The next thing for him, you know, is making a deep run at a major. Fils being French, you know there’s the expectation.” Craig Boyton also praised his “efficient forehand, speed, and power game.”

With his French Open run cut short by injury, all eyes now turn to Wimbledon. Last year, he made it to the fourth round on grass, showing real promise. Could this year be even better? Will Arthur Fils light up the grass courts this season? Drop your thoughts in the comments below!