Overview
- Fils beat Ignacio Buse in his Madrid Open opener to reach the third round, where he is set to face Emilio Nava.
- The victory ends his winless run at the tournament and extends a six-match streak that began with his ATP 500 title in Barcelona.
- He returned in February from a back layoff and has stacked strong results, including the Doha final, an Indian Wells quarterfinal and a Miami semifinal.
- Asked about chasing Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, Fils said he is “forgetting” them for now and focusing on step-by-step goals after going 0-3 against Alcaraz on tour.
- Former world No 3 Ivan Ljubicic praised Fils’ forehand as faster with more topspin than most and said clay suits him best, underscoring expectations for this swing.