What Andrey Rublev really meant by ‘ridiculous’ — His verdict on Arthur Fils

Arthur Fils secured his first title in two years and the fourth of his career, defeating Andrey Rublev to claim the Barcelona Open.

The Frenchman, whose previous tour-level victory came at the Japan Open in 2024, overcame Rublev in straight sets, 6-2, 7-6.

Fils had been out of action from July 2025 until February 2026 due to a back injury he picked up at last year’s Roland Garros.

Since making his return, the 21-year-old has put together an impressive run, reaching the final in Doha, making it to the semifinals in Indian Wells, and now lifting the trophy in Barcelona.

Andrey Rublev praises Arthur Fils after Barcelona defeat

Speaking after the match, Rublev said: “Big congrats to Arthur. To your team. To your family.

“The way you’re playing is ridiculous. The level you played today and overall the last couple of years, you proved that you’re one of the best players on tour.

“Being out for half a year and playing at that level again is something unreal. I’m practicing every day and I’m not at that level.

“I’m really happy for you. You deserve it 100%,” concluded Rublev, who last won a title at the Qatar Open in 2025.

The win gives Fils a 2-1 edge over Rublev in their head-to-head meetings, having also come out on top when they met at the 2025 Monte-Carlo Masters.

Arthur Fils’ clay court schedule: Which tournaments will he play next?

Fils has climbed five places to 25th in the world after his win in Barcelona and he could break into the top 20 this year if he keeps performing on clay.

His best opportunity to earn points comes at the Madrid Open, where he made an early exit last year and is only defending 10 ATP points.

He’ll have more to protect at the Italian Open, where he reached the fourth round last season before losing to Alexander Zverev.

Last year’s French Open run was cut short by a third-round exit and marked the beginning of his injury troubles.

This time around, Fils is only defending 210 points across the rest of the clay swing, giving him plenty of room to move up if he can string together some consistent results.

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