Miami's Malachi Toney gets unexpected shoutout from French tennis star Arthur Fils

French tennis star Arthur Fils wrote "GABOS" on the camera after his quarterfinal win over Tommy Paul at the Miami Open, then explained the mentality behind it in a post-match interview. For Miami fans, it sounded familiar.

Malachi Toney's "Game ain't based on sympathy" line has already become part of his brand around the Hurricanes, and now it has shown up on an international tennis stage in South Florida.

Arthur Fils brought GABOS to the Miami Open

Fils had just beaten Paul in a three-tiebreak thriller to reach the first Masters 1000 semifinal of his career at the 2026 Miami Open. Fils signed his usual match mantra on the TV camera lens after the match: "GABOS," short for "Game ain't based on sympathy."

Around Miami, the phrase is already tied to Toney. The sophomore receiver turned "Game ain't based on sympathy" into one of the most recognizable lines around the program during and after his breakout freshman season.

In 2025, he was one of the biggest stars in college football, earning ACC Rookie of the Year and ACC Offensive Rookie of the Year honors while catching 109 passes for 1,211 yards and 10 touchdowns. He logged 1,622 all-purpose yards, a second-team AP All-America selection and freshman All-America honors. It also helped that Miami was very successful this past season, posting a 13-3 record and making it to the CFP national championship game.

Fils is already one of the better young players on the ATP Tour, with a career-high world ranking of No. 14, three ATP singles titles and a 96-63 career record. Fils did not carry it all the way to the title match, though, as Jiri Lehecka knocked him out in the semifinals, 6-2, 6-2.

While Toney did not originate the phrase, "Game ain't based on sympathy' has been publicly documented for more than a decade and has grown into something used in the sports world down in the South Florida region.