Former World No.1 reckons Arthur Fils will learn from his disappointing loss to Carlos Alcaraz at the Monte Carlo

Arthur Fils fell to a disappointing 6-4, 5-7, 3-6 loss against Carlos Alcaraz to exit the quarter-finals of the Monte Carlo Masters.

Former World No.1 reckons Arthur Fils will learn from his disappointing loss to Carlos Alcaraz at the Monte Carlo

Carlos Alcaraz and Arthur Fils (via ATP)

Arthur Fils collapsed to a disappointing loss against Carlos Alcaraz at the Monte Carlo Masters despite leading in the match. The Frenchman threw away his first-set lead and allowed Alcaraz to grab the quarter-finals victory. After the match, former WTA World No.1 Justine Henin revealed that Fils must have learned a lot from the loss.

Fils came out firing in the first set, demonstrating great footwork and dictating the pace of the match. His powerful forehand couldn’t be handled by Alcaraz, who had to change his tactics by hitting drop shots for the majority of the match. The Frenchman wasted no time in claiming the first-set win.

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In the second set, Alcaraz came all out for the win trying different ways to unsettle the 20-year-old, who kept fighting his way back. At 5-5, (40/0), Alcaraz turned the match around and began to play with more confidence. He crucially saved three break points to win the second set before earning a dramatic 4-6, 7-5, 6-3 victory in the quarter-finals.

Justine Henin, who was on duty for Eurosport at the stands, was seen in the middle of the match focused on the display of the two youngsters. After the tie, she hailed Alcaraz but noted that Fils must feel very disappointed after having the win in hand but threw it away.

It’s true that we just passed by the players right after their embrace at the net and we really feel that they gave a lot and that they went very far. There are a lot of regrets and disappointments for Arthur Fils but it was a match in which there was a lot of physical commitment. There were ups and downs with, of course, some waste, but when you see the speed of play, the speed of movement, the explosiveness of each one, they went through a lot with Carlos Alcaraz, who emerged as exceptional in this last part of the match. The learning continues for Arthur Fils but it must be very, very hard at the moment.

Justine Henin quipped

Meanwhile, Alcaraz is in the final of the Monte Carlo Masters. The Spaniard defeated his fellow compatriot Alejandro Davidovich Fokina 7-6(2), 6-4 in the semi-finals. He will now wait for the winner between Lorenzo Musetti and Alex de Minaur.

Arthur Fils “frustrated” at his loss against Carlos Alcaraz in Monte Carlo

Arthur Fils wouldn’t forget his loss against Carlos Alcaraz in a hurry. For the past month, the Frenchman reached the quarter-finals of Miami Open and Indian Wells was hoping to get a step further at the Monte Carlo, but Alcaraz denied him the dream of a semi-finals. After the match, he opened up about how he felt after the loss.

Arthur Fils
Arthur Fils (Image via X/The Tennis Letter)

It’s frustrating, because I had many opportunities to get ahead in the score and I didn’t make it. So there are positive things but there are also negative things. I need to talk with my team and see what I need to improve.t

Arthur Fils said via Monte Carlo Press

The Frenchman last won a clay title at the German Open last year, when he came from behind to beat home favorite Alexander Zverev in the final. He will be looking forward to claiming another clay title at the Barcelona Open.

Arthur Fils handed a tough draw at the Barcelona Open

At the Barcelona Open, Arthur Fils has been handed a tricky draw. The Frenchman reached the quarterfinals of the ATP 500 tournament last year before losing to Dušan Lajovic. Next week, he is set to open his account against Pablo Carreno Busta in the first round of the clay tournament. After that, he will face the winner between Pedro Martinez and Brandon Nakashima.

Arthur Fils (3)
Arthur Fils (Image via X/Miami Open)

In the quarter-finals, he will face a very difficult task as he takes on either Stefanos Tsitsipas or Sebastian Korda. Tsitsipas has won the tournament four times and reached the final last year. However, if he does pass the test, he will face Carlos Alcaraz again for the second in two weeks, a rematch of the Monte Carlo quarter-finals.