'I've been playing great tennis so...we'll see': Arthur Fils, with high hopes ahead of Roland Garros

Arthur Fils arrives at Roland Garros this year as the top-ranked French player, carrying the hopes of the nation for a strong performance. However, the draw has not been kind with him, with a potential third-round clash against Andrey Rublev and a possible fourth round against none other than Jannik Sinner. Despite the challenging path, world's No. 14 is having a great season and is eager to perform well with the crowd on his side.

Arhur Fils has been one of the top players this season, playing incredible tennis and showcasing his potential to be a dark horse against any top player.

Still, the French player has never won a match at Roland Garros, which could be a significant amount of pressure for the 20-year-old. Despite the challenge, Arthur remains confident:
"I feel different, for sure," he said. "I'm going to try not to win just one match here this year. I'm going to try to win several, but it's not going to be easy."

"It's a Grand Slam. It can be long. If I have a difficult opponent in the first round, it's going to be difficult, but we'll see. As I said, I feel good, and my game is getting better and better. As you said, I've been playing great tennis for two or three months now. So, yes, everything is going well."

Many former players, like Andy Roddick and Ivan Ljubicic have stated that Fils style of play strikes fear into his opponents, to which the young star answered:

"I'm quite relaxed. Whether the guy wants to play me or not, I don't really care. I want to play him and beat him. I don't pay too much attention to him. It's always the same; when you play well, when you see a draw... if I'm playing badly and I see Sinner in my draw, I'm going to go 'pfff.' Conversely, now it's for me, and that's great. It's always a little battle that you win before you go on the court, and when you get on the court and the guy is afraid to play you, it's better."

The Showman

Recently, Ben Shelton referred to Fils as the new showman of French tennis. Fils responded, "When I go on the court, do I want to set the place on fire? Not necessarily, but with my way of playing, etc., often, we have good points, we have quite spectacular moments, and the public likes that."

"I think it's quite nice for the public when they come to see matches; sometimes, five-set matches can be very long, and if it's not too boring for them, it's cool, it's nice. I don't necessarily try to please them, but with my way of playing, I think a bit like Ben, with his way of playing, it's spectacular, or like Gaël... You can put us in a showman category, but we're not trying to put on a show at all."

Arthur Fils emerges as "must-see-TV" on this Roland Garros. With the expectation of the whole country on his back, the French will have to prove to be up to the challenge right from the start. ¿Could he upset Jannik Sinner in a potential fourth round clash?