When the usual awards of the ATP players' union were published at the end of the 2023 season, Arthur Fils (ATP 37) was in a very honorable gallery as "Newcomer of the Year": In the recent past, high-flyers such as Carlos Alcaraz, Holger Rune or the current world number one Jannik Sinner had been selected as up-and-coming forces. "This recognition has made me very proud," says Fils, one of the most promising young professionals on the tennis tour. "I hope I can follow in the footsteps of my predecessors."
At the 31st TERRA WORTMANN OPEN, the Frenchman, who has just turned 20, has already made his first mark on the tennis green: After his smooth round of 16 victory over Dominik Koepfer, the energetic youngster will now face the German number one in Halle, Alexander Zverev (ATP 4) - in a potentially spectacular match in the last eight on Friday on the center court. "I'm looking forward to this match. It will be a great challenge," said Fils, who comes from the small town of Bandoufle with a population of 10,000, around 25 kilometers southwest of Paris.
Fils is one of the refreshing new faces making their mark on the 31st edition of the tournament. These include the 27-year-old Chinese player Zhizhen Zhang (ATP 42), who caused the biggest surprise so far at the current ATP 500 grass court classic - with his three-set coup against the world number five Daniil Medvedev in the round of 16. "This is undoubtedly one of the biggest successes ever for me," explained Zhang.
In men's tennis, Zhang is something of a fulfillment of long-held aspirations for Chinese fans - the first to break the magical top 50 barrier in the ATP rankings and a regular contender at top international level. Zhang, the man from the metropolis of Shanghai, is also the first Chinese quarter-finalist in Halle - his next opponent on Friday: US boy Chris Eubanks (ATP 44), who knocked out defending champion Alexander Bublik on Wednesday. After his victory against Koepfer, Zhang politely thanked the many thousands of fans on the center court for watching the match despite the European Championship match between Germany and Hungary taking place at the same time. "He's a great and really interesting player, on and off the court," said Tournament Director Ralf Weber.
Arthur Fils' participation is also a stroke of luck for those responsible for the TERRA WORTMANN OPEN. Superstars such as Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal think highly of the 20-year-old Frenchman - Nadal recently even invited the powerful athlete to his academy in Kuwait for a week-long training block. "My idols were always Roger and Rafa. What impressed me most about Rafa was his passion, his unconditional will," says Fils. "That's something that has also helped me to overcome boundaries." This year, Fils has already reached an all-time high in the world rankings - at number 30. Zhang is even competing in Halle with a current record, at number 42.