While French tennis is going through dark times (0 French in the round of 16 of the US Open), the legend John McEnroe estimated on the set of Marion Bartoli (RMC) that the 19-year-old player Arthur Fils represented a real hope : “Of all the guys I’ve seen, I prefer Arthur Fils. I still think there are solid players in France, but I think Fils is someone to watch, he’s the guy who has the most potential to become a great player. He’s still learning what it’s like to be a professional, but he’s doing a good job. I also think that he is the youngest guy in the top 50 or top 100 (48th at 19 years old, editor’s note). It would obviously be a good boost to see a top French player do something. It’s like in the United States, we need an American who breaks everything. This has been a problem for a long time in the United States and France! » Arthur Fils, who for the first time in his (young) career passed a first round in a Grand Slam, will probably hope to prove him right.