Arthur Fils Explains How He Utilizes the Experience of Goran Ivanisevic at the Madrid Open

Arthur Fils is into his fourth consecutive quarter-finals on tour following his round of 16 victory at the Madrid Open. The Frenchman has been in exceptional form since partnering with Novak Djokovic’s ex-coach Goran Ivanisevic in February. He has been to two finals this season, and he’s yet to lose on clay this year.

Fils marked his full return to tour at the Montpellier Open in February after being on the sidelines for over six months due to a troubling back injury. The 21-year-old’s biggest decision was hiring the experienced Ivanisevic despite the noise around the Croatian coach’s fallout with former World No.3 Stefanos Tsitsipas.

The World No.25 reached the Doha Open final, just weeks into his partnership with Ivanisevic. At the Sunshine Double, he got to the semi-finals of the Miami Open, his best run in an ATP Masters 1000 tournament. He claimed his first title of the season at the Barcelona Open after beating Andrey Rublev in the final.

Fils has been highly praised by Jannik Sinner and has been dubbed the biggest talent in French tennis. He has continued with the momentum at the Madrid Open and has been at his best on the court. He has dropped just one set at the tournament and defeated Emilio Nava in the third round 7-6(2), 6-3.

He made sure to earn his eighth consecutive win on clay on Tuesday (April 28) after beating Tomas Martin Etcheverry 6-3, 6-4 at the Arantxa Sanchez Stadium. The win gets him a step closer to winning his first Masters title on tour. During his interview with Tennis Channel, he explained how Ivanisevic helped him to win his third-round match against Nava:

Goran told me to just focus on my own service games and maybe I’d get some chances. He told me that at the start of the second set—and I managed to get broken, so that was very clever from me. But I kept trying. At first, I was returning from far back, but he was serving too well. So I said, ‘You know what—step in, pick a side, and just try to put the return in.’ That’s what I did, and I’m pretty happy with it.

Ivanisevic is known as one of the most experienced coaches on tour. Having won the Wimbledon Championship during his playing career, he made a name for himself during his time as Djokovic’s coach. In six years, he helped the Serbian legend win 12 Grand Slams before their partnership came to a disappointing end in March 2024.

Arthur Fils continues to impress at the Madrid Open

Arthur Fils rise this season has been impressive. For a player just returning from a serious injury, playing excellent tennis on the court is simply magnificent. Several players who have gone through the hell of back injuries usually return to the court confronted with the same issue, falling to reach the expectations of fans.

But that’s not the case for Fils as he has been in total control of his matches on clay this season. He faced Tomas Martin Etcheverry and needed just an hour and 29 minutes to crush the Argentina star 6-3, 6-4. He becomes the first Frenchman to reach the quarter-finals of the Madrid Open since Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in 2013.

He also has an eight-match winning streak, the longest of his career and a 6th ATP Masters 1000 quarter-finals (three of them coming this season). He’s on course to break into the top 20 for the first time in over a year. In the ATP Live Rankings, Fils sits as World No.18 and could enter the top 15 should he win his quarter-final match.

He will face Jiri Lehecka, who defeated Lorenzo Musetti, for a place in the semi-finals of the tournament. Fils is defending fewer than 200 points at the Madrid Open, which gives him the freedom to push for more at the tournament. Should Fils reach the semi-finals, he’s projected to face Alexander Zverev.

Also Read: Stefanos Tsitsipas Shares Whether He Has Rediscovered Joy of Competition After Reaching Madrid Open 4th Round

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