Arthur Fils won the first Masters 1000 of his career on Sunday 23 August, beating American Frances Tiafoe in the Cincinnati final.
What was the score in the final?
Arthur Fils (21st seed) beat Frances Tiafoe (17th seed) in three sets: 6-3, 1-6, 6-0, in just under two hours.
The Frenchman sealed it on his third match point, on the American's serve, closing out a final set won 6-0.
How the match unfolded
Fils flew out of the blocks: he took the opening set 6-3 in thirty minutes, capped by three aces in a row.
Tiafoe then turned the match around completely and dished out a 6-1 second set. Before the decider, the American had his knee treated during a medical time-out.
The Frenchman responded in the most authoritative way possible: an early double break, thunderous serving, and a final set wrapped up 6-0 despite two wasted match points.
A historic title for French tennis
At 22, Fils becomes:
- the fifth French champion at Masters 1000 level, after Guy Forget, Cédric Pioline, Sébastien Grosjean and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga;
- the first French player to win the category since Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in Toronto in 2014;
- the youngest French winner in Masters 1000 history;
- the first French champion in Cincinnati since Guy Forget in 1991.
It was also the first all-Black Masters 1000 final, according to the ATP.
What it means going forward
The Frenchman climbs to world No. 11 on Monday, a career high, and lands his twentieth Masters 1000 win of the season — a record for a French player, one he previously shared with Gaël Monfils before this match.
It is his second title of the year after Barcelona, the fifth of his career, and his first above ATP 500 level. He also moves closer to qualifying for the season-ending Finals in Turin.
One week before the US Open, where he has never been past the third round, Arthur Fils sends a clear message ahead of New York. Frances Tiafoe, for his part, falls short in a Cincinnati final for the second time after losing to Jannik Sinner in 2024.
Sources
https://www.tennis.com/tournaments/cincinnati-open/matches/a-fils-vs-f-tiafoe-2026-08-23
