Arthur Fils was one of the hottest players on the ATP Tour heading into this week’s Masters 1000 event in Rome. After just four games, he’s suddenly cooled down. A hip injury forced him to retire against Italy’s Andrea Pelligrino, casting a shadow of doubt over his fitness with just a few weeks until Roland-Garros starts.
Fils saw the trainer after double-faulting to fall behind Pelligrino 3-0 in the first set. He looked concerned and trailed the doctor off court for a medical timeout. The 15th-seeded Frenchman returned five minutes later, but didn’t have much left to give.
He started the fifth game serving, but only made it through three points before he elected to pull the plug.
If there is good news, it is that the injury was not a recurrence of the back injury that forced Fils to miss the better part of the 2025 season.
According to the reporting of L’équipe, and others on site in Rome, Fils said he was bothered by an issue in his hip.
“I tried everything during the match,” Fils said in French, according to L’équipe. “I called the physio to try and get some treatment, but it didn’t work. Unfortunately, I had to stop shortly after that. These things happen. I’m going to undergo treatment, I’ll talk with my team, and we’ll make some decisions. I just needed to avoid taking any risks ahead of Roland-Garros. There is no other information I can provide.”