Arthur Fils lasted just 22 minutes at the 2026 Italian Open before retiring while trailing Pellegrino 0-4, cutting short a match he said was undone by hip pain that started in the second game. The Frenchman said afterward he will get treatment, speak with his team and avoid taking any risks before Roland Garros.
Fils’ exit lands at a delicate moment in his season. He has been tremendous in his 2026 return and has been viewed as a French Open contender, but he said the hip issue left him with no safe option. He also had to retire from the French Open last year, when a back problem began to manifest and ultimately cost him the rest of the season.
That makes this withdrawal more than a bad day in Rome. Roland Garros is close enough now that every setback carries added weight, and Fils made clear he was not willing to force the issue for the sake of one match. "I'm going to get treatment, we'll talk with the team, and we'll make some decisions, but I just couldn't take any risks before Roland Garros," he said.
The Italian Open has already produced several surprises, including Sorana Cirstea’s win over Aryna Sabalenka and Jasmine Paolini’s early exit, and Fils’ retirement adds another jolt to a tournament that has been full of them. For him, the next step is not about the draw in Rome. It is about whether treatment can get him to Paris healthy enough to matter.
