Since pulling out of Roland Garros before his first-round clash with Stan Wawrinka, Arthur Fils has spent seven weeks away from professional tennis with an injury he refuses to name. Ever since returning to train on Wimbledon grass with his coach Goran Ivanisevic, a champion on these courts in 2001, Fils has been dodging questions about his medical issue. And he did so again on Saturday while speaking to the press ahead of Wimbledon.

“I can’t tell you. I can’t tell you what it was. But where I am now, I’m very well, everything is fine. My body is fine, I’m at 100%. I’m not blind, I know what it was, but everything’s fine now. All systems are go. It’s positive, it’s behind me.” 

Pressed on whether it was the hip, the back, both, or a combination, he said, “A mixture of everything!” When asked why he would not say more, he said, “Because I prefer to keep it to myself. Because otherwise, people talk, and it’s annoying.”

Before Rome, Fils was already struggling with another injury last year. He missed the 2025 grass swing, the U.S. Open, and the 2026 Australian Open because of a severe L5 stress fracture in his lower back that he sustained at Roland Garros in May, sidelining him for eight months. He returned to the ATP 250 in Montpellier in February 2026 and impressed with consistent performances.

A runner-up spot in Doha, fourth career title at Barcelona Open, semi-final finishes in Miami and Madrid, and a 22-7 season, capped off by a nine-match winning streak on clay, which ended only against World No. 1 Jannik Sinner—6-2, 6-4 loss in 85 min. 

But an unrelated hip injury forced him to retire mid-match in his first round in Rome against Andrea Pellegrino, withdraw from Roland Garros a fortnight later, and disappear from the tour entirely. He also pulled out of the Libéma Open and the Halle Open, leaving him for Wimbledon with no competitive match under his belt in almost two years on grass. 

His confidence comes from the preparation that he has undertaken at the All England Club. Ivanisevic, a member of the club by virtue of his 2001 title, could arrange training directly on the Wimbledon courts, giving Fils access to the exact conditions he will face in the draw. Fils spoke about the opportunity. 

“He told me, ‘We’ll train directly at Wimbledon, it might be easier, on good grass.’ I wasn’t going to refuse. I’d played once or twice in the south of France to make sure everything was alright. Everything was fine. And then everything just fell into place.”  

On Saturday, he practised against Casper Ruud.

“I was moving well on the court. I was sliding well to the right, to the left. Everything is fine.”

Two weeks of training at the venue itself, and his 2026 season has shown that he knows a thing or two about coming back from an injury.

His career record on grass courts is 6-5, and his best Wimbledon performance was reaching the fourth round in 2024. Alex de Minaur defeated him in four sets. He has described his game as one that translates well to the surface: the flat, aggressive forehand, the strong serve, the natural aggression of both wings  – these are qualities that reward on grass.

Even though it’s a comeback tournament, Fils has set his priorities right.

“It’s my comeback tournament, but of course I have expectations. I’m playing very, very well on grass. We’ve been training for two weeks. I feel good. 

“I’m not here to be a mere figurehead. My goal is to get on the court and win matches.”  

So, what’s next for Fils?

Fils eyes Race to Turin qualification after injury-hit season

The underlying drive for Wimbledon is the Race to Turin. Fils had risen to fourth in the ATP Race to Turin with 1880 points after his semi-final effort in Madrid in early May, overtaking Daniil Medvedev and Ben Shelton in the rankings. His competitors took advantage of his injury and time off to match his points, but he still ranks in the top eight of the Race and needs to maintain this position to have a chance at his inaugural Nitto ATP Finals in November. Currently, he is in seventh position, while Alex de Minaur is breathing down his neck with 1870  points.

“The goal is to go to Turin at the end of the year. I don’t know if I’ll succeed, but we’ll see,” he said.

For a 21-year-old who spent months on the sideline only to return this year to win a title, reach three further finals or semi-finals, and climb back to the top twenty in the world, qualifying for Turin would complete a comeback that has already exceeded most expectations.

He has yet to play in either Grand Slam this season. Wimbledon, with 2000 ranking points on offer for the champion, represents a tremendous opportunity for him to take a lead in the Race to Turin. 

Will Phil’s body, which cost him six weeks in the spring, survive two weeks at the All England Club? We will get the answer on Tuesday in his first-round match against Belgian qualifier Raphaël Collignon.