Arthur Fils received a walkover into the quarter-finals of the European Open due to Jaume Munar’s injury.
The Frenchman had already skipped the first round with a bye, but is now through to the quarter-finals without playing a match, after his Spanish opponent withdrew from the tournament.
It’s good news for Fils’ European Open chances, but even better news for his ATP Finals qualification bid. In such a tight race, the 22-year-old just earned 50 points, which could prove vital.
Arthur Fils adds another 50 points to his tally in ATP Finals qualification race
Alexander Zverev, Carlos Alcaraz, and Ben Shelton have already qualified for the 2026 ATP Finals, but with Jannik Sinner’s withdrawal, five spots are still up for grabs. Fils began the European Open in the qualification places, but with several tournaments still to play and some of his biggest rivals taking this week off, he knew a strong week in Brussels would boost his Turin chances.
Give us one bold prediction for the final months of the 2026 tennis season!
Without even walking onto the court, Fils has earned 50 ranking points at the European Open. He now trails Frances Tiafoe, the player occupying the sixth qualification place, by just five points. With Tiafoe resting this week, Fils will surely fancy his chances of jumping ahead of the American with another win in Brussels.
Live ATP Race to Turin
| Rank | Player | Country | Points | Points earned this week | Status |
| 1 | Alexander Zverev | Germany | 9,150 | – | Qualified |
| 2 | Jannik Sinner | Italy | 7,950 | – | Qualified – Won’t play |
| 3 | Carlos Alcaraz | Spain | 4,600 | – | Qualified |
| 4 | Ben Shelton | USA | 4,480 | – | Qualified |
| 5 | Flavio Cobolli | Italy | 3,540 | – | Qualifying |
| 6 | Daniil Medvedev | Russia | 3,420 | – | Qualifying |
| 7 | Frances Tiafoe | USA | 3,380 | – | Qualifying |
| 8 | Arthur Fils | France | 3,375 | 50 | Qualifying |
| 9 | Rafael Jodar | Spain | 3,159 | – | Qualifying |
| 10 | Alex de Minaur | Australia | 2,880 | – | Not qualifying |
| 11 | Novak Djokovic | Serbia | 2,840 | – | Not qualifying |
| 12 | Tommy Paul | USA | 2,585 | – | Not qualifying |
Fils is now 495 points clear of Alex de Minaur, the leader of the chasing pack. That’s a solid gap, but it’s not enough, especially with an ATP 500 and a Masters 1000 tournament still to play. It’s not just De Minaur who is chasing Fils, either; 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic has made his Turin intentions clear and is only 40 points further back.
If the Frenchman is to make his ATP Finals debut this November, he will need to fend off some of the best players in men’s tennis. So, when the tennis gods offer you a free 50 points, you take them and don’t ask questions!
He is unlikely to be quite so fortunate in the quarter-finals, though. To win the European Open and take home all 250 ranking points, Fils must defeat several top players.
Who will Arthur Fils play next in Brussels?
Fils will play his first match of the 2026 European Open on Friday, October 23, against Alex Michelsen, Remy Bertola, or a retiring David Goffin. Fils would be expected to make light work of Bertola or Goffin; however, Michelsen could prove difficult to beat.
Michelsen impressed at the Japan Open recently, pushing Carlos Alcaraz all the way to a third set, although he does begin the European Open looking to end a three-match losing streak.
Fils will be a slight favourite in that match-up and should advance to the semis, where he can only meet one seed, (6) Zizou Bergs. The fourth seed, Alexander Blockx, has withdrawn from his home tournament due to injury.
The Frenchman is 1-0 against Bergs on the ATP Tour, defeating the Belgian at last year’s Hong Kong Open, 7-6, 6-4. If he can repeat the feat in Brussels, he could advance to his fourth final of the season.
Fils lost to Alcaraz in the Qatar Open in February, before defeating Andrey Rublev in the Barcelona Open final and Tiafoe in the Cincinnati Open final. If he reaches the final in Brussels, he will meet one of nine players.
Players Arthur Fils could meet in the European Open final
- (2) Jiri Lehecka
- (3) Francisco Cerundolo
- (8) Mariano Navone
- Raphael Collignon
- Nishesh Basavereddy
- Tallon Griekspoor
- Martin Damm
- Jacob Fearnley
- Clement Chidekh
The three seeds, Jiri Lehecka, Francisco Cerundolo, and Mariano Navone, will worry Fils most. Lehecka, in particular, is a player Fils won’t want to see standing across the net from him in the final. Lehecka handed Fils one of his worst defeats of the season earlier this year in Miami, winning their semi-final in straight sets, 6-2, 6-2.
Fils then won their next two meetings in Madrid and Cincinnati, but will remember that Miami beatdown well. He won’t want to get ahead of himself thinking about the final just yet, though, and will now turn his attention to the quarter-finals and Michelsen, Goffin, or Bertola.
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