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Arthur Fils seems to be absolutely loving his chance to have a training block with Rafael Nadal as the rising French star wants to have "a quality preseason" with the Spaniard. During the Next Gen ATP Finals in Jeddah - where 19-year-old Fils finished as the runner-up - the Frenchman revealed that Nadal invited him for an offseason training block in Kuwait.
On Friday, 22-time Grand Slam champion Nadal arrived in Kuwait. On his Instagram Story, Nadal posted a picture with Fils from the court and captioned it: "Merci (thanks) Arthur Fils." Fils reposted Nadal's Instagram Story and wrote: "Let's go for a quality preseason."
Fils on Nadal inviting him for a training block
Fils, who won his first ATP title this year in Lyon just before his 19th birthday, revealed in Jeddah that Nadal "very kindly invited" asked him if he was willing to prepare with him for the 2024 season.
“He very kindly invited me. I’m going to give it my all. I’m going to try not to get too carried away on his forehands (smiles). I’m going to get the most out of it," Fils told L'Equipe during the Next Gen ATP Finals.
After winning Lyon, Fils also finished as a runner-up in Antwerp and reached the Hamburg semifinal. Also, Fils finished the 2023 season enjoying a career-high ranking of No 36. “I’ve had a good year. I started 250th and today I’m 36th.
That’s not bad. I could have won here, I could have had a better season, I lost several close matches. I’ve gained experience and I’ll try to do better next season. I thought I’d learned how to handle a final, but I’ve lost three this year… Otherwise, I know myself better.
I’ve made a lot of progress with my game and mentally, too," Fils said. It remains to be seen if practicing with Nadal will help Fils elevate his game to a new level ahead of the new season.