Arthur Fils withdraws from French Open

Arthur Fils withdrew from Roland-Garros on Saturday, one day before the main draw began, after saying a hip injury had not healed enough for him to play. Roland-Garros said the 21-year-old French No. 1 had hurt his hip during a practice session at the Rome Masters earlier this month. Fils had been one of the leading home hopes in Paris and was set to open against 2015 champion Stan Wawrinka. Tournament organizers said Dutch lucky loser Jesper de Jong would replace him in the 128-man draw. ### What injury forced Fils out on the eve of the tournament? Roland-Garros said Saturday that Fils was dealing with an ongoing hip injury suffered during practice at the Rome Masters 1000 earlier in May. The tournament said the injury had not healed sufficiently for him to compete in Paris. ATP Tour coverage said Fils was still unsure of the exact nature of the problem. “It’s just pain, pain that’s bothering me,” Fils said, according to ATP Tour. He added that he could not “do every time the same mistake” by playing through it at this stage of his career. ### How did this connect to what happened in Rome? Rome provided the clearest public sign that Fils was struggling physically before the French Open. ATP Tour said he retired after four games of his opening match at the Italian event on May 9, with Andrea Pellegrino leading 4-0. ATP Tour later reported that Fils described the issue as something that had worsened when he stepped on court. Roland-Garros said the damage happened in a practice session in Rome, linking the withdrawal in Paris directly to the problem that ended his Italian Open early. ### Why was his absence such a blow for the home event? Fils arrived in Paris as the top-ranked French men’s player and one of the country’s most prominent contenders. Roland-Garros’ player profile describes him as part of the renewal of French tennis, and he had built momentum this season after deep runs in Indian Wells, Miami and Madrid, plus a title in Barcelona, according to ATP Tour. France24, citing AFP, described him as the French men’s No. 1, while Tennis Majors said he stood fifth in the season race. Those results had made him a central figure for local fans at a tournament where French men’s hopes have often been closely watched. ### Who takes his place in the draw now? Roland-Garros said Jesper de Jong entered the draw as a lucky loser after Fils’ withdrawal. ATP Tour and France24 also reported that de Jong replaced him in the bracket. The change means Stan Wawrinka keeps his place in the first round but faces a different opponent. Roland-Garros had already highlighted Wawrinka’s opening match as a notable one because the 2015 champion is back in Paris late in his career. ### What did Fils say about the decision? Fils told reporters on Saturday that he would not be able to play the tournament this year. “I’m not going to be able to play here this year. It’s a shame, of course. I’m very sorry about it,” Roland-Garros quoted him as saying. ATP Tour carried a second explanation from Fils that framed the withdrawal as a longer-term decision. “If it was the last tournament of my life, I will have played,” he said, before adding that with “10 more years, 15 more years,” he could not keep making the same mistake. ### What happens next in Paris? Roland-Garros begins Sunday, May 24, in Paris, with the men’s singles draw now updated to show Jesper de Jong in Fils’ place against Wawrinka. Fils, who turns 22 next month, will now shift focus to recovery after missing his home Grand Slam at the last moment.