Two days ago, the Phils had completed his Basel quarterfinal against Taylor Fritztrailed 6-2, 2-0. He confirmed it was a muscle problem in his left leg. “But it’s fine, it’s nothing to worry about,” he said. He insisted that the stoppage had nothing to do with protecting his chances in Paris. “It was just to not make it worse what I thought I had. It was just a precaution. I had a quick talk with my team at the end of the set and then we made the decision to stop the match.”
Newspapers on his body. “a balance that is hard to find”
Each injury brings back memories of last year, when pushing himself beyond his limits cost him eight months. This season, he was also eliminated between Rome and Wimbledon, which forced him to withdraw from Roland-Garros. “I’m getting to know my body better and better,” Fils said. “I know sometimes I shouldn’t cross the line. Sometimes I have to be a little careful, sometimes I also have to realize that I can push forward. It’s a balance that’s hard to find, I try to find it every day and my team helps me with that.”
He rejected the idea of a certain fragility. “Now many young players get injured because of the calendar. multiple tournaments, multiple back-to-back events, time differences and consistently high-intensity matches,” he said. “I don’t think it’s just me.”
The Phils and the Race to Turin. “not an end in itself”
At No. 8, the Phils are seventh Race to Turin With 3535 points, in one of the last places of the Nitto ATP Finals (November 15-22), which will be decided in Paris. Flavio Cobolli, sixth, also retired in Vienna last week. Seeded sixth, the Fils will open second stage Against Kyrian Jacque or a qualifier.
“Not necessarily more pressure, certainly a little more excitement,” he said. “I’m 22 years old and I have a chance to qualify for masters, it’s very positive. If I don’t make it this year, I will in years to come. It’s not an end in itself, even if it would be very, very good to do it this year.”
First time at La Défense
The Phils have never played in the tournament in their new home. “It’s my first year playing here, I’ve never set foot on these courts,” he said. “Since the beginning of the season, I was waiting to play in Paris. I don’t know if the atmosphere will be as crazy as in Bercy, but the arena is huge.”
Speaking to radio reporters afterwards, he said he wanted to play “in front of my family, my friends, at home” at the end of an “exciting season”. “If I can have the support of the crowd, the support of the crowd, that will help me a lot,” he said. “So I’m very, very impatient.”
