There’s a saying: out of suffering emerge the strongest souls. And Arthur Fils is living proof. The Frenchman, who suffered a stress fracture in his lower back last May, saw the injury worsen and has been off the court since the Canada Masters. While the rest of the tour launched into the new season in Australia, Fils waited patiently for the right moment to return. That patience is now paying off.

On Tuesday at the Open Occitanie Montpellier, Arthur marked a triumphant comeback to the ATP Tour. He defeated Valentin Royer 7-6(7), 6-7(4), 6-2 in his first match since August 2025. Fils saved one set point in the opener and delivered a thrilling third-set display that lifted the crowd to its feet at the indoor ATP 250 event. It was a proud, emotional moment as he ran straight to his team in celebration.

“It was a tough match. He is a great opponent and he put me under pressure,” Fils said via the ATP Tour website. “I was running a lot and my legs feel it now, but I am very happy to win. It has been a long time out of the court and [to have] an atmosphere like this was [amazing].

“At the end of the first set I felt pretty good. Then the second set started and I felt a bit worse, but I finished very strongly… I had so much fun. I was talking to my box. I am enjoying this. It has been a long time.”

Since the injury, Fils has spent the past seven months working on recovery, rebuilding his strength step by step. He highlights how crucial it is to listen to the body, focus on healing, and trust the process. Nutrition, he says, plays a huge part in that recovery journey, and so does a medical team that guides him through every stage.

Against Royer, Fils left everything on the court, battling for two hours and thirty-two minutes without a single physical hitch. Royer, though, wasn’t an easy opponent. He stole the spotlight in the 12th game with a slick lob winner that forced a tiebreak. From 3-1 down, Royer clawed back to win it 7-4, dragging the epic into a third set after nearly two hours of play.

Fils came out blazing in the decider. He held serve with authority, then broke Royer early after a costly double fault in game three. The Frenchman followed it with a spectacular lob winner in the fifth, stretching his lead as the crowd roared him on. With unwavering focus, he closed out the win and punched his ticket to the second round.

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Still, the road back hasn’t been entirely smooth. Even with his first victory in months, the time away has tested his fitness and physical form.

Arthur Fils talks about the setbacks in his recovery

Last year, the Frenchman’s clay-court swing was one to remember. He broke through to the quarterfinals in Monte Carlo and followed it up with a semifinal showing in Barcelona. But when Roland Garros came around, his body gave out at the worst possible time. After an epic five-set battle with Jaume Munar, his back finally gave in. What began as a bit of discomfort quickly turned into a full withdrawal, and a short one-month break turned into a much longer wait.

“It’s been a while since I last competed, so returning to the circuit is great. I feel a lot of joy and happiness. I’m very excited to be back on the courts with so many fans. It’s been a long process. I’m back, so that means everything is positive, both mentally and physically,” he said ahead of the ATP Montpellier.

His first comeback attempt in August proved too soon. The eagerness to return outweighed the readiness of his body, and that mistake cost him several more months away from competition. He skipped the closing stretch of the season and even held off from playing the Australian Open, determined this time not to rush recovery.

“Physically, I must have lost six or seven kilos since Roland Garros. As for what has changed on the court in these almost nine months, you’ll see it in my debut on Tuesday.”

And fans sure did. The 21-year-old, a Montpellier semifinalist back in 2023, now boasts 50 tour-level wins on hard courts. With his confidence returning and his rhythm finding its groove again, he now faces Ugo Blanchet, who beat doubles ace Andrea Vavassori 6-4, 6-3. The big question: Can he keep it rolling against Blanchet? Let’s hear your thoughts below!