Arthur Fils explains abrupt Italian Open retirement

With the exception of ATP World No. 1 Jannik Sinner‘s win, it was a wild day of unexpected happenings at the 2026 Italian Open, and part of the unpredictability centered around Arthur Fils.

Fils played just 22 minutes, losing four games of his match before retiring. Fans were confused and concerned.

After the match, Fils explained what was going on.

MORE: Sorana Cirstea stuns Aryna Sabalenka at Italian Open

Fils experienced hip pain

He is understandably being cautious and conservative as we get closer to his home slam, Roland Garros.

Fils had to retire from the French Open last year. That’s when his back problem began to manifest. It cost him the rest of the season.

Mar 25, 2026; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Arthur Fils of France reacts against Tommy Paul of the United States after beating him in the quarter finals of the men’s singles at the Miami Open at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mike Frey-Imagn Images

Fils has been tremendous in his 2026 return and has been considered a French Open contender. Hopefully his physical issue is minor.

MORE: What we learned from Novak Djokovic’s loss in Rome

Other Italian Open Saturday oddities

Sabalenka’s loss to Sorana Cirstea and defending champion Jasmine Paolini’s early exit from her home tennis tournament were among the bizarre activities of the day.

Daniil Medvedev got a walkover. Ben Shelton, who was having a great European clay swing with the BMW Open win, was upset. Joao Fonseca and Felix Auger-Aliassime also lost.

Doubles kicks off on Sunday

Expect the unexpected seems to be the mantra as the 2026 Italian Open rolls on with women’s doubles starting on Sunday. Keep an eye out for the widely anticipated “McCoco” return, the reunion of Coco Gauff and Caty McNally, and an intriguing new team of Anna Kalinskaya and Iva Jovic. On the men’s side, all-American doubles teams of Tommy Paul and Ethan Quinn and Alex Michelsen and Learner Tien should make for entertaining tennis viewing when they hit the court on Monday.



* This article was originally published here

Popular posts from this blog

Opinion: Coco Gauff doesn't dominate tennis, and that's OK. She's still rare.

It’s time for American sports fans – even American tennis fans – to stop taking Coco Gauff for granted.  On some level, that’s a crazy sentence to write. For two straight years, she has been the highest-paid women’s athlete in the world, earning $21 million in endorsements alone in 2024, according to Sportico, even though she’s never been ranked No. 1 in the world. Nor has she ever been viewed like Caitlin Clark as a singular breakthrough figure taking her sport to new heights. You could even argue Gauff has been a bit  overvalued  relative to her lone Grand Slam title at the 2023 US Open. If the theory behind Gauff’s marketability and potential to transcend her sport in American culture was that she could succeed the throne of Serena Williams, it’s a bet that has not – and may never – come close to paying off.  And yet, shouldn’t it be a bigger deal that she’s going to play in yet another Grand Slam final on Saturday, trying to win the French Open at just 21 year...
Read more

Venus Williams returns with doubles win at DC Open

Image
Venus Williams made her return to competitive tennis after a 16-month hiatus with a women's doubles victory at the WTA and ATP DC Open (Rob Carr) Seven-time Grand Slam single champion Venus Williams returned to competitive tennis after a 16-month hiatus on Monday with a doubles victory at the WTA and ATP DC Open. The 45-year-old American joined compatriot Hailey Baptiste to defeat Canada's Eugenie Bouchard and US teen Clervie Ngounoue 6-3, 6-1 in a first-round match. "After the match Hailey asked me, 'How did that feel?' It's probably even harder to play the doubles first because I'm not a doubles player," Williams said. "So it's great to have her to kind of hold the team up. She has had the experience. She served first because she has been playing all year and playing well. I think that helped me a lot. "I think also just to get the feel for the ball. Obviously singles I have a little more experience even though doubles I have had so...
Read more

Dan Evans admits rout by Novak Djokovic may be his Centre Court swansong

Image
Dan Evans walks off Centre Court following his straight-sets defeat - Reuters/Andrew Couldridge Britain’s Dan Evans conceded he may have had his Centre Court swansong after being overpowered by a flawless Novak Djokovic in the second round at Wimbledon. At 35, Evans faces a battle to stay relevant after tumbling down the rankings over the past year, but insists he still has more in the tank and indicated he will “make a plan” for the hard-court season. While he still has designs to compete at the top level – the British No 5 has signalled his intention to qualify for the US Open – during this straight-sets loss to Djokovic, he was aware that he might have graced Wimbledon’s hallowed court for the last time. Unlike his compatriot Oliver Tarvet, the 21-year-old who relished his match-up with reigning champion Carlos Alcaraz inside Wimbledon’s main arena earlier this week, Evans offered up a more measured reflection after his 6-3, 6-2, 6-0 defeat. “I appreciate the chance to play on Centr...
Read more