Arthur Fils will make his debut at the ATP Finals in Turin, facing a challenging path in the John McEnroe group alongside world number one Alexander Zverev, Ben Shelton, and Rafael Jodar.
The tournament, which begins on Sunday, features a round-robin format that will determine the four semifinalists from two four-man pools.
The draw, conducted on Thursday, places the 20-year-old Frenchman in a group with three players who offer varying tactical challenges. Fils, currently ranked number seven, managed to avoid both Carlos Alcaraz and Daniil Medvedev in the opening stage, as reported by Le Figaro. His campaign begins on Sunday against Ben Shelton, followed by a match against the top-seeded Zverev on Tuesday.
The #NittoATPFinals groups are SET ‼️ The John McEnroe Group: Alexander Zverev (1) Ben Shelton (3) Arthur Fils (6) Rafael Jodar (8) The Ivan Lendl Group: Carlos Alcaraz (2) Daniil Medvedev (4) Flavio Cobolli (5) Frances Tiafoe (7) pic.twitter.com/VrfyhMJ7E6
Fils enters the elite field as the first Frenchman to qualify for the season-ending championship in a decade, following Gaël Monfils’ appearance in 2016. He is the tenth French player to reach this stage in the tournament’s 56-year history.
To reach the semifinals, he must play in a group where he holds a mixed historical record; he has defeated Zverev twice in five meetings and split his two matches against Shelton. His final group opponent, Rafael Jodar, has beaten Fils twice in their three previous encounters.
The tournament structure mandates that the top two players from each group advance to the knockout semifinals, where they will face opponents from the Ivan Lendl group in a cross-over format. Matches are scheduled daily between November 15 and November 20, with sessions held at 14:00 and 20:30 local time.
The Ivan Lendl group features world number two Carlos Alcaraz, alongside Daniil Medvedev, Flavio Cobolli, and Frances Tiafoe. The field is notably missing the defending two-time champion Jannik Sinner. Sinner, who currently holds the second position in both the Race to Turin and the ATP rankings, withdrew from the event due to a knee injury that has kept him off the circuit since his victory at Wimbledon.
The first phase of the competition concludes on Friday, November 20. Pour Fils, la progression hinges on his ability to secure wins in his opening matches before a potential encounter against Jodar.
The tournament play begins on Sunday, November 15, with the opening matches of the round-robin stage.
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