By Richard Pagliaro | Monday, October 23, 2023
Sebastien Grosjean has stepped down from his post as French Davis Cup captain to focus on coaching 19-year-old phenom Arthur Fils.
Photo credit: Barrington Coombs/Getty for LTA
During his breakout season, 19-year-old Arthur Fils has hit milestones—and made believers of many current and former pros.
Sébastien Grosjean is one of the biggest believers in Fils' future and is now fully invested in it.
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The 45-year-old Grosjean has stepped down from his post as French Davis Cup captain to focus solely on coaching Fils.
"It is with great emotion but also great excitement that I am preparing to open this new chapter alongside Arthur Fils," Sébastien Grosjean said in a statement. "This is a continuation of the work undertaken in recent years to support and develop young French talent, in the service of excellence."
"I sincerely thank Gilles Moretton and all the teams of the French Tennis Federation with whom I have had the chance to work over the years.
"Arthur Fils is an exceptional player with immense potential, and I am confident that our collaboration will be fruitful. I have a special thought for the players and staff of the France team, with whom I had the pleasure of living unforgettable moments, and to whom I wish all the success they deserve in competition."
Widely regarded as a player with Top 10 potential, Fils conjured creative solutions stunning top-seeded Stefanos Tsitsipas 7-6(5), 7-6(4) to soar into his second career final in Antwerp in style on Saturday.
It is Fils’ second career Top 10 win—he defeated former French Open finalist Casper Ruud on the red clay of Hamburg—and his first Top 10 victory on hard courts. Fils fell to Alexander Bublik in the Antwerp final.
Still, the former French Open boys' finalist has risen to No. 38 in the rankings—Fils is the youngest man in the Top 50—won his maiden ATP title in Lyon and has registered a 19-15 mark working with former world No. 4 Grosjean.
The French Tennis Federation said it will announce a replacement for Grosjean as Davis Cup captain at the end of the upcoming Rolex Paris Masters. It's an important post as the new captain will also head the French squad for the 2024 Paris Olympics.