Carlos Navarro
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9 Aug 2024 | 22.12
Alejandro Davidovich Fokina reached the semifinals in Canada last year. It was in Toronto, but it excited us immensely: he had incorporated very beneficial habits into his routines (including reading), had become a more consistent player, and was reaching the final rounds of tournaments more frequently. However, all of that evaporated at the beginning of a truly chaotic year, eight months where the Malaga native returned to bad habits on the tennis court and where, to make matters worse, injuries appeared.
But we learn from everything in this life, and now Foki is smiling again. Despite falling out of the top 50 (something that could easily be remedied, as a ticket to the quarterfinals in Montreal would return his ranking to that zone), the past few months have been very positive for the Spaniard. They have turned into a kind of journey of personal transformation, a stage where Alejandro understood that he needed to make various changes to progress in the rankings and become that threatening figure capable of defeating names like Novak Djokovic on a good day.
Yesterday's victory over Daniil Medvedev at ATP Montreal 2024 marked the reaffirmation of this journey, a sign that all work has its reward, a fantastic starting point for a potential rise in the rankings. The biggest change of all? It's called Fernando Verdasco, who is now the guide for 'Fokineta.' While he never officially announced his retirement, the Malaga native and the Madrid native have confirmed that this duo is permanent... and who better than Davidovich, in a conversation with ATP, to detail the reasons behind this significant professional decision.
"I decided to team up with Fer because I believe I need to have a top player by my side who can tell me things that my coach couldn't. Ultimately, the emotions and Fernando's experiences on the court throughout his career make him capable of handling many moments. We started at Roland Garros, we weren't together for long, but now we work together every day, enjoying each other's company. We know each other very well, I know his family, and he knows the people around me, we are enjoying it."
Foki decided to end his relationship with Jorge Aguirre, who had been coaching him since he was 11. It wasn't an easy step to take, and he himself points out that he had reached "the limit", as well as "suffering" while seeing his ranking not advance. The wear and tear of such a long-standing relationship led him to Verdasco, whom he met in 2019 and with whom he admits there was already a special connection while the Madrid native was nearing the end of his professional career. "I always felt he cared about me. He would talk to me constantly, give me advice. I realized he was helping me, so when I saw he became a coach, I thought... 'Wow, maybe this is the time for a change, and I think it's the right time'."
OFF THE COURT, FOKI STEPS OUT OF HIS COMFORT ZONE
But the changes in his team are by no means the only change in Davidovich's life. The Malaga native has proposed to his girlfriend, Paloma, and has also established his official residence in Monte Carlo. "It's something very special. After all, you always dream of having a family. We moved to Monte Carlo, left Spain, everything in my life is new. It's not always easy to adapt, after all, Spain has always been my comfort zone, and stepping out of it is not easy, but I think I'm adapting well. Things never come easy or fast: you have to wait and fight for them." This is the attitude of the 'new Foki', a warrior organizing his new life while recalculating his path on the court. Canada always treats him well...and tomorrow, against Arnaldi, he will want to add another success to return to the top fifty in the world.
This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, ¿Qué ha cambiado Alejandro Davidovich para volver a sonreír?
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