Carlos Alcaraz dominated the ATP Tour at the beginning of 2026, with Jannik Sinner quickly following in his footsteps.
Alcaraz is currently out injured, and Sinner has been making the very most of his absence, having just claimed his fifth title of the season in Rome.
It has been simply sensational from the Italian, with the same to be said of the Spaniard earlier in the current ATP campaign.
However, despite their ruthlessness on the court, Alcaraz and Sinner have both been outshone in one key area by world number 19 Arthur Fils.
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Arthur Fils leads Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz under pressure
Fils has had his fair share of injuries during his exciting career, most recently retiring hurt from his opening match in Rome.
Despite that, the talented Frenchman has not only been able to keep tabs on Sinner and Alcaraz in terms of his game under pressure, but he currently tops the pile.
Over 52 weeks, the ATP Tour statistically measures its players in three key categories; Serve, Return and Under Pressure.
Fittingly, Sinner leads both the Serve and Return categories, but Fils comfortably tops the Under Pressure pile, with the Italian in second and Alcaraz in third.
It’s a very impressive feat from the Frenchman, with the Under Pressure rating calculated by adding the percentage of break points converted and saved, percentage of tie-breaks won and percentage of deciding sets won.
| Rank | Player | Under Pressure Rating | % Break points converted | % Break points saved | % Tie breaks won | % Deciding sets won |
| 1 | Arthur Fils | 258.2 | 37.8% | 66.5% | 65.0% | 88.9% |
| 2 | Jannik Sinner | 251.9 | 43.5% | 73.9% | 80.0% | 54.5% |
| 3 | Carlos Alcaraz | 251.8 | 43.5% | 67.4% | 55.2% | 85.7% |
Arthur Fils has the perfect opportunity to challenge Jannik Sinner
While the numbers should give Fils great confidence, the Frenchman must be eager to be the player to really challenge Sinner and Alcaraz, particularly at Grand Slams.
He is undoubtedly still finding his feet after a lengthy absence because of injury, while at 21 he still has plenty of time to fine-tune his game.
But Alcaraz’s ongoing absence has left a huge hole in men’s tennis for someone to step up and really put the pressure on Sinner.
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Moreover, despite that setback in Rome, the Frenchman should still have great momentum from going all the way on the clay in Barcelona.
And finally, the calendar now turns to the French Open, where Fils will have massive backing from the fans in Paris.
That does put pressure on his young shoulders, but the four-time ATP champion has already proven he has the ability to shine on the big stage.
Also working in his favor in that regard, all eyes should be on Sinner as he looks to complete the career Grand Slam at Roland Garros.
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