The 21-year-old, France's top-ranked player and a seeded contender, made the difficult call after trying everything to be ready. It's a tough blow for the tournament and for a player who had been building serious momentum on clay this season.

Fils addressed the media directly in a press conference, laying out the situation in his own words. He explained that the issue started in Rome and was never fully resolved, despite earlier clear scans.

In Rome, I felt a bit of pain in my hip, it really bothered me, so I didn't want to risk it there. Then I had an examination, and everything seemed fine, but I still had a lot of pain, so I couldn't train for the past two weeks. In fact, today's practice was my first training session since two weeks in Rome. I knew I wouldn't be 100% ready to play this tournament, but I didn't want to risk it like I did last year. I don't want to be reckless.

The problems surfaced during the Italian Open in early May. Fils retired after just four games against qualifier Andrea Pellegrino, feeling sharp pain in his hip from the second game onward. He chose to stop immediately rather than push through.

Arthur Fils has no set return date. He'll focus on proper diagnosis and rehabilitation, aiming to come back stronger rather than rushing. The grass season and later hard-court events could offer better timing if the hip settles. He stated:

I can't expect anything, I can't explain anything because I don't even know myself. It's just that pain, a pain that bothers me, and when I step onto the court, it's there and never goes away. If it were the last tournament of my life, then I would have played, but now that I have 10 or 15 more years, I can't make the same mistake every time. Certainly, this is not the same as last year, it isn't. I also don't know if it's the lower back, the hip, or the psoas, I don't know. It's this area that has been bothering me for a couple of weeks, but I can't say it right now because I don't even know myself, really, I don't know.

Tennis followers will watch his recovery closely. At 21, with four ATP titles already and the physical tools to compete at the highest level, Fils remains one of the most promising talents in the game. The hope is that smart management now prevents bigger setbacks later.

This withdrawal stings today, but it could prove to be the right call for a long and successful career. Roland Garros will feel his absence, yet the sport moves forward, and so will Fils with one careful step at a time.

Arthur Fils had been one of the brightest stars in men's tennis this year. After missing the Australian Open while recovering from the previous back issue, he returned strongly. He reached the final in Doha, made the quarters at Indian Wells, the semis in Miami, and captured the ATP 500 title in Barcelona.

His ranking climbed back toward the top 20, sitting around No. 17-19 heading into Paris. As the highest-ranked Frenchman, expectations were high for a deep run at home. A potential first-round matchup against Stan Wawrinka, in what was expected to be the Swiss star's farewell at Roland Garros, had fans buzzing.

Instead, the tournament loses one of its most charismatic young talents. France's hopes take another hit, joining notable absences such as Carlos Alcaraz, Holger Rune, and Lorenzo Musetti. For Fils personally, it's about protecting a career that still has 10-15 prime years ahead.

He broke through with his first ATP title in Lyon and has steadily climbed, reaching a career-high of No. 14 in 2025. His game suits clay well with powerful baseline play, good movement when healthy, and improving tactical maturity.

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