Arthur Fils is crowned champion of a Godó tournament orphaned by Carlos Alcaraz
He defeated the Russian Andrey Rublev in two sets in a final where he managed to impose his style
BarcelonaFrenchman Arthur Fils ended up without a shirt, jumping into the pool of the Real Club de Tenis Barcelona-1899. Tradition dictates that the champion of the ATP 500 Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell, the long-standing Godó tournament, must take a dip in the pool, a scene that Rafa Nadal used to enact every year until not too long ago. On this occasion, it was Fils who did it for the first time, defeating Andrey Rublev, who at times seemed like he would manage to extend the final to a third set. But when he had it within reach, Fils showed his competitive spirit and clinched his first title in Barcelona in quick fashion, in two sets: 6-2 and 7-6.
Fils thus manages to break into the top 25 players of the moment with a title that gives him wings for a clay-court season marked by the injury of Carlos Alcaraz, who withdrew from the Barcelona tournament right at the start, a few days after losing the world number 1 spot to Jannik Sinner in Monte Carlo. Alcaraz, champion in 2022 and 2023, now has three consecutive seasons without being able to win in Barcelona.
The final pitted two tennis players against each other, who until now had only faced each other twice on the circuit – with one win for each – and both wanted to win the Barcelona ATP 500 for the first time. And Fils did it, with his spectacular game. He dominated the first set with authority and was on his way to doing the same in the second. Even so, at 5-4 and 0-40, the Frenchman wasted three match points and almost lost the set, which he finally won in the tie-break.
“I feel very good in Barcelona. Here some of the best champions this sport has had, perhaps the greatest in its history, have won. So it makes me very happy to be able to put my name next to theirs”, the French tennis player pointed out from the press room of the Real Club de Tenis Barcelona-1899.
Since September 23, 2024, when he won the ATP 500 in Tokyo, Fils had not won a title again. Partly due to a stress fracture in his back which kept him eight months away from competition during 2025. For this reason, he was so eager to win a final again. “It was probably my best match of the week, but I think I can still do better” said the second Frenchman to win in Barcelona. Until now, only Thierry Tulasne had achieved it in 1985.
