Arthur Fils is expected to continue climbing up the rankings after his victory at the Barcelona Open.
Fils has a career-high ranking of world number 14, which he achieved in April last year.
However, after playing just two matches in nine months due to a back injury, Fils fell outside of the top 40 since returning to the ATP Tour in February.
Since his comeback, Fils has won the Barcelona Open, and he has also reached the semifinals of the Miami Open, quarterfinals of Indian Wells and the final of the Qatar Open, enabling him to return to the top 30, and he is now expected to make an even bigger breakthrough.
Alex Corretja claims Arthur Fils is playing like a top 10 player
After Fils beat Andrey Rublev to win the Barcelona Open title, it enabled him to climb a further five places up the rankings to world number 25.
When reacting to Fils’ success, former world number two Alex Corretja predicted the Frenchman to reach the top 10 ‘very soon’.
“His mentality, without a doubt. He’s clearly taken a step forward; I find him very mature,” Corretja told L’Equipe. “He’s always been an explosive player, but now he’s managed to bring a touch of stability to his mind, and that makes all the difference. I saw him all week, always very serious, very focused.
“When you add that to all the improvements he’s made to his game, it can only work. It’s in line with what he’s shown since his return from injury, but he really hurt his opponents with his powerful forehand, such a heavy ball.
“And his serve is a real weapon, much more consistent than before, both his first and second serves. He has everything. Honestly, he impressed me; he’s going to be top 10 very soon.”
Is Arthur Fils a genuine threat to Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner?
Corretja was then asked if he thinks Fils is already playing like a top 10 player, which he suggested was the case.
“Yes, without a doubt,” answered the two-time French Open finalist. “But beyond the purely game aspect, for me, the notion of a top 10 player lies in his mentality.
“I emphasize this point because it’s truly the difference for me. It’s remarkable. He has confidence in himself and his game; you can feel it. Whatever happens, we’ve seen him remain focused, without panicking. Saving two match points in the first round is no small feat.”
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How far is Arthur Fils away from being ranked inside the top 10 of the ATP rankings?
Fils is the current world number 25 and is 1820 points away from world number 10 Daniil Medvedev, but he is actually nearer to that goal than it may seem.
Due to his lengthy absence from the ATP Tour, Fils has only 260 points to defend from his ranking until the 2027 season.
This is in comparison to someone like Medvedev, who has 2,020 points to defend for the rest of this year.
Fils is also currently on track to make his top 10 debut, as he is sixth in the race to the ATP Finals, despite missing the Australian Open.
| Arthur Fils’ ranking | |
| ATP Ranking | No.25 |
| Points away from the top 10 | 1820 |
| Points he is defending in 2026 | 260 |
| Position in the ATP Race | No.6 |
The 21-year-old will look to continue his impressive form at the Madrid Open, where Fils will be the 21st seed.
Fils reached the second round in Madrid last year, and will play either Adrian Mannarino or Ignacio Buse in his opening match in the Spanish capital.
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