Arthur Fils claimed the biggest title of his career at the Cincinnati Open on Sunday, beating Frances Tiafoe 6-3 1-6 6-0 in a final billed as a historic Masters 1000 showdown between two Black players.
The 21st seed, who also lifted the Barcelona Open trophy in April, produced a rollercoaster performance in Ohio before dominating the deciding set. His victory makes him only the third Black man to win a Masters 1000 event, joining Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Ben Shelton, and ends France’s 12-year drought for a title at this level.
“That feels good,” Fils said after the match. “There’s a lot of training, a lot of sacrifice. Injury. To be able to win a title like this, it means a lot to me. I don’t have any words to describe this. It feels so good. A little bit of relief as well.”
Fils set the tone from the start, breaking to lead 3-0 in the opening set and applying relentless pressure from the baseline. He attacked Tiafoe’s second serve and forced errors, closing out the first set with three consecutive aces and not dropping a point in the final game.
Tiafoe, appearing in his second Cincinnati final, regrouped strongly in the second set. The 17th seed broke early and used aggressive forehands to pull Fils wide, racing to a 5-1 lead and winning the set 6-1 to force a decider.
But Fils regained control immediately in the third set, breaking twice to surge into a 4-0 lead as Tiafoe’s unforced errors mounted. With crisp footwork, quick court coverage and penetrating groundstrokes, Fils closed out the match with a 6-0 final set after a long rally to seal the trophy.
The title boosts Fils’s season record to 32-10 and moves him up eight places to fifth in the ATP Live Race to Turin.
Commentator Annabel Croft praised Fils’s movement and composure: “He talked about the sacrifices he made and the injuries he has had but what a performance that was in the final set. He’s so agile, he’s like a ballet dancer… every kind of shot that he could possibly come up with. He’s so mature on the court — physically and mentally — and his agility and take-off speed are exceptional.”
Fils’s Cincinnati triumph marks a major milestone in a rapidly rising career and raises expectations as the US Open approaches.