By Richard Pagliaro | Saturday, August 22, 2026
Photo credit: Cincinnati Open Facebook
The blue court resembled a launching pad.
Arthur Fils was in full flight.
Rocketing fiery forehands into the corners, Fils swept Flavio Cobolli 6-3, 6-4 to charge into his maiden ATP Masters 1000 final at the Cincinnati Open.
The 22-year-old Fils joins Guy Forget (1991) as the second Frenchman in Open Era history to reach the Cincinnati final. The victory vaults the talented Fils to No. 11 in the ATP Live Rankings.
Barcelona champion Fils played impressive tennis in a 67-minute sweep. Fils improved to 31-10 on the season cruising into his third final of 2026.
It is the seventh, and biggest, final of Fils’ career.
We will see a maiden ATP Masters 1000 crowned in Cincinnati tomorrow.
The 21st-seeded Fils will face either 2024 Cincinnati finalist Frances Tiafoe or Montreal finalist Brandon Nakashima in tomorrow’s final.
French Open finalist Cobolli scored first-break blood for a 2-1 lead, but Fils amped up his aggression.
Stepping to his left, Fils repeatedly lasered high, heavy topspin forehands that dive-bombed into the Davis Cup hero’s backhand corner.
Play was suspended about 40 minutes due to lightning strikes in the area.
Midway through the set, Fils unleashed his force of nature forehand to great effect.
Twenty-five minutes into the match, Fils spun a stunning running forehand strike down the line. Fils followed with a forehand volley holding at 15 for 4-3.
Clubbing his forehand to the Italian’s backhand, Fils continuously made Cobolli play his two-hander during a crackling 29-shot rally. It ended with Cobolli netting a backhand, offering a sarcastic thumbs-up to father and coach, Stefano, and facing double break point.
Cobolli challenged the Frenchman’s forehand and paid a stinging price as Fils curled a crosscourt forehand breaking for 5-3.
A flowing Fils flashed a forehand behind Cobolli to serve out the 35-minute first set at 15.
The frustrated French Open finalist did not adjust to the Fils attack. Fils rattled out errors breaking at 15 to start the second set.
Fils slammed his third ace holding for 3-1.
Serving for the final, Fils went full explosive mode. First, Fils snapped a smash, then he bashed a blur of a forehand and followed it with a curling crosscourt forehand for double match point.
When Cobolli sailed one final return, the entertaining Fils, who owns one of the biggest topspin forehands in the game, was through to his biggest final.
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