French tennis players Arthur Fils and Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard returned to action on the ATP circuit basking in the glow of fulfilling their shared childhood dream of representing their country in the Davis Cup.
Fils, 20, and Mpetshi Perricard, 21, have forged a friendship over the past decade and were part of the France squad that beat Brazil 4-0 on 1 adn 2 February in Orléans, western France, in the first round of the 2025 men's tennis team competition.
The victory moved France, 10-times winners of the 125-year-old competition, into a second round clash against Croatia in September.
"I played with Gio [Mpetshi Perricard] in doubles in junior competitions and now to play in the same team for the Davis Cup, it's something unbelievable," beamed Fils.
"Since we met each other we've been talking about playing for France together and to finally make it is huge. It's something we've dreamed of since we were young and to do it ... especially in France."
Fils, who is 19th in the world rankings, said it was particularly emotional as La Marseillaise – the French national anthem – was played before the encounter at the Palais des Sports.
"I was standing next to Gio when La Marseillaise started," he said. "To be there at an event like the Davis Cup with a very close friend, we were almost crying. Gio is almost like my brother. We go on holidays together. We do everything together.
Monfils returns to action at Indian Wells missing Djokovic and Nadal
"If he has got something on his mind, he calls me and I call him if there's something troubling me. Really close. And it's not often in tennis to feel something like this."
'Strong characters'
France Davis Cup skipper Paul-Henri Mathieu, himself a former top 20 player, said in the aftermath of the victory that he relished steering a squad with different abilities and temperaments.
"It's all very well and good having strong characters but they have to go and win big matches and important ties like this," said the 43-year-old.
"It's helpful that they all get on well together. There was a good atmosphere in the squad during the week of preparation for the matches and we won in some style."
Fils beat Thiago Seyboth Wild 6-1, 6-3 to give France a 2-0 lead following the straight sets victory of the French number one Ugo Humbert over the Brazilian number two Joao Fonseca.
Shelton ousts French veteran Monfils at Australian Open
Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Benjamin Bonzi joined forces on 2 February to overcome Marcelo Melo and Rafael Matos to furnish the decisive third point in the best-of-five series.
With qualification secured, Mpetshi Perricard, who shot up the rankings from 200 to 30 in 2024, was sent out to play the dead rubber – a match with no bearing on the overall result.
Despite the lack of jeopardy, Fils was courtside watching and encouraging his pal. "A bit too much," quipped Mpetshi Perricard after his 6-4, 6-4 victory over Matheus Pucinelli de Almeida.
Encouragement
"I know he is very calm," said Fils, well out of range of his 2.03m tall chum. "But you know, it's Davis Cup, it's something else. I told Gio before his game: 'I'm gonna push you even if you're leading 3-0, it's gonna be the same. I'm gonna push you and you have to win this one.' So of course, I was going a bit hard on him and putting a bit of pressure."
He added: "But it's OK. I think he he did great. He won in straight sets. And he enjoyed the moment on the court. So that was the most important thing.
"Hopefully we're going to play 10, maybe 15 more years together for France for the Davis Cup. So I think we're going to have a lot of memories."
Veteran Monfils beats Mpetshi Perricard in battle of the French generations
After missing the Rotterdam Open through illness, Mpetshi Perricard will play at the Marseille Open which starts on Monday. Fils, who reached the last-16 in Rotterdam, will skip the Marseille event to nurse an injured left thigh.
"It's going to be very tough year for sure," said Fils who won ATP 500 tournaments in Hamburg and Tokyo in 2024.
"But it is always like this. The more you go up in the rankings, the tougher it gets. So I'm going to try my best. My goal is just to feel great on the tennis court, enjoy my time and to try to be one of the best to play the game.
"And I'm putting the work in. I don't know if the success is going to happen in 2025 or 2026. But I know that I'm putting the work in with all my team. And let's see, I will try to to win another title in in 2025."
Such a success would be his fourth on the senior circuit since turning professional in 2021. His first championship came on home soil in Lyon in May 2023 a month shy of his 19th birthday.
On his way to glory at the Hamburg Open for his second title, Fils overcame the defending champion Alexander Zverev and in Tokyo he beat Humbert.
Following his run to the last-16 at the Australian Open, Humbert, the world number 15, remains France's top player but the 26-year-old is likely to come under pressure to maintain that kudos from Fils and Mpetshi Perricard who, as black men, could follow in the footsteps of Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Gael Monfils and maintain the sport's projection into communities where talented young athletes traditionally veer towards football or basketball.
Role model
"I would love to be a role model for the young black kids," said Fils whose Haitian-born father married a Frenchwoman. "I grew up near to Paris and I grew up with the the two cultures.
"And if you look closely, there aren't that many Black players – around a dozen in the top 100. And if I and Gio can be a role model like Gael was, like Tsonga was, it would be the best thing in the world."
Tsonga retired at the age of 37 after he lost to Casper Ruud in the first round at the 2022 French Open. Monfils, 38, soldiers on and with the crown from the ASB Classic in Auckland in January can boast the accolade of oldest player to win a senior tour title since tennis was opened up to professionals in 1968.
"Gael's still going strong," said Fils. "And he's like a bit my big brother on the tour. He has given me a lot of advice and helps me with everything, not just on the court but with life in general."
Pausing to consider the benefits of such a pastoral boon amid the Sturm und Drang of the international circuit, Fils added: "It's amazing to be with him on the tour and with Gio as well ... it's unbelievable. I am blessed."
