‘Arthur Fils has world No 3 written all over him – and he will 100% bag a few Grand Slams’
ATP Tour star Arthur Fils has been backed in some bold Grand Slam and ranking predictions from a legendary former coach of Serena and Venus Williams.
Fils has shone since he returned to tennis in February having been sidelined since August due to a back injury.
The 21-year-old defeated world No 58 Ignacio Buse 6-7(4), 7-6(3), 7-5 in a hard-fought opening match at the Madrid Open on Friday. He will take on Emilio Nava in the third round at the clay-court Masters 1000 event.
The Frenchman is on a six-match winning streak, having triumphed at the ATP 500 tournament in Barcelona last week.
Fils now holds an excellent 19-5 (79.2%) record since making his comeback. He was a runner-up at the Qatar Open in February, while he reached the semi-finals in Miami and the quarter-finals in Indian Wells in March.
The world No 25’s stellar level has seen him identified as a serious potential challenger to Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz — who have dominated men’s tennis since the start of 2024.
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Rick Macci coached Serena Williams, Venus Williams, Jennifer Capriati, Maria Sharapova and Andy Roddick — all of whom went on to become world No 1.
The esteemed American made a bullish claim about Fils’ potential in a post on Twitter/X.
“The Flying Frenchman has number three in the world written all over him,” Macci wrote.
“Great motor, high energy, no major holes in his game.
“He will 100% bag a few Grand Slams as his high octane game and French fuel can battle in any duel. Movement and speed kills, fasten seat belt with Arthur Fils.”
Macci also reacted to the news that defending French Open champion Alcaraz had withdrawn from the Paris Grand Slam due to injury.
“This year at the French Open has been rebranded the French Wide Open for ANY player not named Sinner,” he wrote.
“Whoever is far away from the Italian Flamethrower in the Draw might have a chance to win it All.
“Injuries are a part of sport and somebody has a real shot with Carlos not on court.”
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