Article by Maria Olteanu – Published Saturday, May 23, 2026, 5:54 p.m. / Updated Saturday, May 23, 2026, 5:54 p.m.
One of the most talented players of the new generation and a great hope of the French public, Arthur Fils (21 years old, world number 19), officially announced his withdrawal from this year's edition of Roland Garros, due to a hip injury, just before the start of the second Grand Slam of the season.
Although fans in Paris were looking forward to the compatriot's matches, reality and the medical balance forced the young Frenchman to make the decision to skip the second Grand Slam tournament in 2026.
Arthur Fils announced his retirement from Roland Garros: “If it was the last tournament of my life, I would have played”
The Frenchman's problems began after the Masters tournament in Rome, when he felt a sharp pain in the hip area. The results of the tests and checks carried out immediately after the tournament in Italy were fine, the doctors found nothing serious, but the tennis player continued to feel constant pain for two weeks.
When he went out on the court before the Grand Slam in Paris he felt a stronger pain and realized that he didn't have to risk anything.
The world number 21 is aware that forcing and playing long games with the help of injections could jeopardize his career, showing that he has learned from last year's catastrophic experience when he made a similar mistake.
“In Rome, I felt pain in my hip. The last two weeks I could barely train. I know I won't be 100% and I don't want to take risks like last year. I don't want to be stupid, especially after everything that happened to me last year.
I can't explain exactly what I have, because I don't know very well either. If it was the last tournament of my life, I would have played. But I still have 10 or 15 years ahead of me. I can't keep making the same mistakes every time. It's not the same injury as last year.
I asked myself: “Arthur, is your goal just to get through one or two laps or do you want to go as far as possible in the tour?”. My goal is to get as far as possible. Today I know I am not able to do that. I'm not even sure that I'm at 50%, so I can't take this risk,” he said, quoted by sportal.blic.rs.
With this withdrawal, the Paris draw has been left without a local player, and the French public will have to look for a new hero on the French Open clay. The time of his return to the court has not yet been specified, and the next goal for Arthur Fils will be to fully recover by the start of the grass season so that he can participate without problems at Wimbledon.
