During a Paris Masters match, French tennis player Arthur Fils demonstrated sportsmanship by comforting a ball girl who was accidentally hit in the face by a serve from his opponent, Taylor Fritz. The ball ricocheted off the back of the court, striking the young girl and causing her to cry.
Fils, 22, immediately paused his game to approach the ball girl, console her, and escort her off the court for medical attention. The home crowd applauded the gesture. Fritz also expressed concern and checked on the girl.
This incident echoes a similar event at the 2020 Australian Open, where Rafael Nadal accidentally hit a ball girl with a forehand and later gave her his headband as an apology. In the Paris Masters match, Fritz defeated Fils 6-3, 6-4. Later in the tournament, another ball girl was involved in an incident after falling while retrieving a ball, prompting concern from players and staff before she received treatment for an apparent ankle injury.