There are some storylines in tennis that almost seem pre-written, as if by a fiction author.

Arthur Gea is an 18-year-old French player competing at the US Open Junior Championships. He’s got terrific groundstrokes, an excellent serve and looks to be another impressive French player working his way through the game's ranks.

This talented crop includes 19-year-old phenom Arthur Fils, who reached the second round of the US Open men’s draw and is in line for his Davis Cup debut during next week's Davis Cup Finals Group Stage (France will contest Group B in Manchester). 

Gea has been playing terrific tennis this week and has reached the semi-finals of the boys' draw following an impressive 6-4 6-3 win over Alex Frusina of the United States at Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.

Gea’s coach for the past year with the French Tennis Federation has been Tarik Benhabiles, a former Top 25 ATP Tour pro who most famously coached Andy Roddick for five years.

After 2003 Roland Garros, Benhabilies was let go by Roddick, who months later went on to win the US Open – 20 years ago this week. 

Gea is in the semi-finals, a mere four sets away from his own US Open triumph. Could he taste victory at the US Open two decades after Benhabiles’ famous protégé did?

“That would be a dream,” Gea said with a big smile. “I know about Andy and what he did here. My idol was always Novak Djokovic, but since being with Tarik, my idol is now Andy.”

Three years prior to his US Open triumph, Roddick also topped the boys' podium at Flushing Meadows. Whether Gea follows in his idol's footsteps remains to be seen, but he certainly is playing the best tennis of his year right now.

Against Frusina on Court 10, the Frenchman broke serve once in the first set and twice in the second to reach his first Grand Slam semi.  

Earlier this year, Gea lost to Tomasz Berkieta in a heartbreaking Australian Open quarter-final, 7-6 in the third, and also reached the second round of Roland Garros and third round of Wimbledon.

Gea said he had been battling an abdominal tear last year at the 2022 US Open and at this year’s Australian Open in January, but is now 100 per cent fit.

“Mentally I am fighting against the heat, but physically I’m feeling really good,” Gea said. “I feel like I’m playing pretty well, getting better and getting more excited with each match. I’m maybe not playing it the best but I’m handling it the best, mentally.”

Born in the south of France, Gea said he’s been playing since he "could walk,” and has been getting coached by the French Federation for several years.

He and Fils, who is now up to No. 48 in the ATP Rankings, live next door to each other in Paris, while hitting with Fils here at the Open has made facing juniors easier.

“After hitting with him, I feel so much better playing juniors, because he hits the ball so hard,” Gea said. “They don’t hit quite as hard in juniors.”

Gea’s opponent in the boys semis will be No. 11 seed Learner Tien, who won the tightest match of the day, besting No. 2 seed Rodrigo Pacheco of Mexico 4-6 6-4 7-5.

“I thought he looked a little tired after the first set, spent a lot to win it, so I really tried to boost my energy and if I got off to a good start maybe he’d give me the second set and save up for the third,” Tien said. “I felt pretty good in the third and it was a battle.”

Tien, who has reached two semis and a final in three Slams this year, is looking to become the first American boys' champ at the US Open since Taylor Fritz in 2015.

Friday’s other boys' semi-final will pit No. 14 seed Federico Cina of Italy, who defeated No. 9 Yi Zhou of China, 6-2 6-2, against No. 7 seed, Brazil’s Joao Fonseca, who outlasted American No. 3 seed Cooper Williams, 7-6 3-6 6-3.

“I love this hot weather,” Cina said with a big smile. “I play better in hot weather, so this doesn’t bother me at all.”