The five-set king is back! Kei Nishikori beats Monteiro from two sets—and two match points—down at Australian Open

Honesty is the best policy when conducting an on-court interview, and Arthur Fils certainly kept it real when asked to assess his first-round performance at the 2025 Australian Open.

“I was playing like shit, sorry!” confessed the No. 20 seed after rallying from a set down to defeat Otto Virtanen, 3-6, 7-6 (4), 6-4, 6-4. “It was really tough.

“But I don’t know, I was just trying to put the ball inside the court—you know, inside the blue,” he added, earning more laughs from the Margaret Court Arena crowd. “And then I just tried to run. I’m really happy about the way I did it.”

The talented 20-year-old is coming off a breakthrough 2024 season, one that saw him make his Top 20 debut and win a pair of ATP 500 titles. But Fils is still searching for a signature run at a Grand Slam tournament, having made just one major second week last year: a fourth round at Wimbledon.

I think I need some practice! Arthur Fils after defeating Otto Virtanen in four sets at the 2025 Australian Open

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Elsewhere, Fils has made it no farther than the second round; his victory on Sunday matches his second-round finish at the 2024 Australian Open, but the Frenchman will be favored to go even farther Down Under with either countryman Quentin Halys or Aussie Adam Walton waiting in his next match.

“I’m going to try my best. I think I’ll play again on Wednesday, so I have some days to recover and to practice. I think I need some practice!” he joked. “Let’s see with the coach, but I’ll try my best in the second round.

Sharing a section with world No. 2 Alexander Zverev, who he defeated in a contentious Hamburg final last summer, the first seed Fils can face is fellow French star and No. 14 seed Ugo Humbert in the third round.