Miami Open: What did Arthur Fils say after epic Tommy Paul win? And how has it affected his ranking?

Ewan West 26 Mar 2026 10:30 AM

Arthur Fils celebrates at the Miami Open

An elated Arthur Fils

Arthur Fils has described reaching the semi-finals at the 2026 Miami Open as “the best result in my life so far” after winning an epic match against Tommy Paul.

The French star prevailed 6-7(3), 7-6(4), 7-6(6) against world No 23 Paul in a thrilling quarter-final battle lasting two hours and 47 minutes on Stadium court.

Neither player broke serve in the extremely tight contest, with Fils saving six break points and Paul saving the only break point he faced — which was a match point in his final service game in the third set.

Fils trailed 2-6 in the deciding set tiebreak, and he fought off four consecutive Paul match points as he won six points in a row in a dramatic late turnaround.

In his on-court interview with Tennis TV, Fils was asked how much passion and emotion went into the match.

“A lot, a lot. I step on the court, I was feeling a bit tired. [Paul] was playing very good, he was playing better than me in the first set,” said the world No 31.

“I just tried to find some energy, I tried to cheer a little bit for me because of the crowd was a bit for him. And then it was just a dog fight, and I never back down from a fight, so even if I lose, it’s okay, I fought the best that I could.”

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The 21-year-old also spoke about his mentality.

“Look, today I was just fighting, and even if [Paul] is my friend out of the court, when we are stepping on the court, it’s either him or me, and well, I prefer when it’s me (laughs). So yeah, I was just trying my best tonight, and I did good,” Fils explained.

Fils’ victory saw him advance to the semi-finals of a Masters 1000 tournament for the first time, and he will play world No 22 Jiri Lehecka.

“That’s the best result I had in my life so far, so I will try to do my best in the semi, but now I’m pretty happy,” he added.

In his press conference, Fils said: “I just had to believe in myself. That was the most important.

“I think he played very, very good tennis tonight, especially in the tiebreak until 6-2.

“I just said, okay, look, point by point, if I’m lucky, I get through. If not, it’s okay, it’s not a big deal. He was playing better than me. So, I just had to fight until the end and see.

“It feels very good to be in the semis for the first time in my life. I’m going to try my best. I have a tough match against Jiri. Let’s see how I get through it. But it feels good.”

How has Fils’ Miami Open run affected his ATP ranking?

Fils, who reached his career-high ranking of 14th in April 2025, started the Miami Open as the world No 31.

The Frenchman was a quarter-finalist at last year’s edition of the event in Florida, and his run to the semi-finals this year means he has gained 200 points, which has increased his points total to 1,640.

This has lifted Fils to 28th position in the Live ATP Rankings, and he will jump to 22nd if he defeats Lehecka to reach the final.