"Some will take a year to recover, others three months," Lehecka warns Fils after suffering the same back injury last year
After winning a marathon match against Jaume Munar in the second round of Roland-Garros, Arthur Fils was forced to withdraw from the rest of the tournament due to a stress fracture in his back.
Withdrawn before facing Andrey Rublev for a spot in the round of 16, the 20-year-old Frenchman is expected to be sidelined for four to six weeks, severely jeopardizing his chances of competing at Wimbledon.
During a press conference after his loss to Jannik Sinner, Jiri Lehecka, who suffered the same injury as Fils last year during the Madrid Open semifinals against Félix Auger-Aliassime, offered advice to the world No. 14 on how to recover as effectively as possible.
For context, the Czech player was out for three months and returned to the tour in early August at the Cincinnati Masters 1000, subsequently finishing the season pain-free.
"It's a complicated injury. I feel sorry for him—I know exactly how he feels. It's not just physically tough but mentally as well. It's something that’s hard to manage. Everyone experiences this kind of injury differently. Every body reacts differently. Some will take a year to recover, others three months, and some just a month.
It’s unfortunate for him. I hope he gets back on his feet quickly. The worst part is there’s almost nothing he can do to speed up the healing right now. It’s not a locked back or a strain—it’s a stress fracture, so he’ll just have to stay calm and wait. That’s the hardest part," cautioned the world No. 34 in comments reported by *L'Équipe* in recent hours.
