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'The Forgotten Ones', the viral phenomenon that promotes following all of Spanish tennis

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Around 40 Twitter accounts work daily to ensure that every Spanish tennis player of today has a place in the media spotlight. Such a level of hilarity deserved a report.

Fernando Murciego | 29 Jun 2025 | 18.42
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First edition of 'The Forgotten' Challenger in Valencia. Source: Punto de Break.
First edition of 'The Forgotten' Challenger in Valencia. Source: Punto de Break.

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If I mention Joao, Iñaki, or Julio – for example – you might have no idea what this is about. However, if on the contrary, I talk to you about @BerridosDeMunar, @FuerzaCarballes, or @FiebreZapatista, they are likely to seem much closer, almost familiar characters to you. It's the magic of Twitter – call it 'X' – a social network in clear decline that has nevertheless found a niche of popularity thanks to Spanish tennis and a list of profiles in parody key that gift us daily with their greatest level of wit. All for making the circuit a better place. They call themselves 'The Forgotten', their role is to give a voice to all those players from our country silenced by the media hype, always opting for a humor so acidic that once you try it, you can't let go. An idea that started out as simple entertainment and has even ended up organizing a tennis tournament among them.

And who is behind all these trolls? Punto de Break has been able to contact Miguel Calvo-Manzano (Madrid, 2000), the user who pulls the strings of the account @Miguelcmm1, known for the strong monitoring of everything related to Alejandro Davidovich Fokina. He was one of the pioneers in this skirmish, sharing the limelight with @RufiEnLancha (Alcatraz), the user with the most pull on social media – over 20,000 followers – thanks to the coverage around the figure of Carlos Alcaraz. As Gerard Piqué would say, another great fan of this sport, we can say that everything began with them.

"It was a year and a half ago when the first accounts started making noise," Miguel, 25 years old and recently graduated in Psychology, tells us. "Back then, we had a different tone, we covered tennis sports news with a hint of humor. For instance, I have always been a fan of Davidovich, but one day I find out that other accounts like @BerridosDeMunar, @CobraKaiFokina, or @FuerzaCarballés started responding to each other in my comments. We insulted each other, trying to see which player was talked about less," recalls the Madrilenian. "At that time, those accounts might have had 4 or 5 followers, I don't understand how they endured so many months without much buzz, but they continued, reacting to almost everything Alcatraz and I posted. They were the ones who truly sparked the movement, until suddenly they started gaining popularity. It's fair to say that they were the first to create that meme-oriented format. Both Alcatraz and I then geared our accounts' style in that direction."

That's how the floodgates opened to create a meme account for each member of La Armada. From @bouzismo to @LlamasRuizLover. From @FinoEspectaculo to @elmorocanas. From @LaBombaBautista to @Cosanazogordo. And I don't want to forget @HalconCovadonga, @soyporterista, @LaRocaBatalla, @pasandobolas or @Tiffoneta, among many others. "99% have no duplicate accounts, each person has their account and they stick to it rigorously. I know some didn't usually watch much tennis, but now they wake up every morning thinking about which match Bautista is going to play, who his next opponent will be, or what tweet he's going to post. They live and die for it; everyone has their soldier, the best part is the friendly rivalries that happen between the accounts, which is the most amusing," explains Miguel, one of those who can boast of having interacted with his 'soldier,' but we will develop this further later.

And some might wonder, did these people know each other? How can fate bring together such a diverse group under the umbrella of mockery and scorn? "It's crazy that such a large group of people coincides in that similar tone of humor, that acidity to deliver the comment just at the perfect moment, as if they were born to handle that account," Miguel, our spokesman, replies. "It's incredible the level they have for tweeting, the natural wit of each one, but then in person, they are the same. For example, in my case or Alcatraz's, who have been there a bit earlier, we may have some wit, but not as developed. What's tremendous is reading the accounts that emerged later with 'The Forgotten Ones,' accounts that tweet in unison without knowing each other, always in the same direction," the Madrid native expresses in amazement.

"All the people behind the accounts are in the 19-25 age range, more or less. Most are people who are studying, some are starting to work, but initially, I wouldn't say they are extroverted individuals or highly popular in their circles. Nevertheless, they all have that natural wit that comes from within, just with their language and behavior they can make you burst into laughter. They may seem very calm but a second later, they can utter the biggest nonsense you've ever heard. They hide an unexpected level of wit," Miguel adds, one of the few who keep their real name on their profile.

"In the last two months, the list of 'Los Olvidados' has started to take shape, indicating which account belongs to each tennis player and which ones are still available. The magic of all this is that there are no requirements to join. I mean, if a zealot wants to create an account to defend the world's #700 player because they lack media focus, it will be Twitter users themselves who will approve or disapprove through their interactions. Anyone who wants to get involved in #LosOlvidados must have that natural charm, in addition to being very active on social media with updates about their player. Otherwise, the Twitter universe will be the one to bury them," says Miguel, currently with over 3,000 followers on his account.

REACHING YOUR SOLDIER

Undoubtedly, one of the most beautiful aspects that #LosOlvidados have achieved in a short time is somehow connecting with the player they represent. Sometimes privately, other times through Twitter interactions, or simply by word of mouth, any approach is positive in understanding that it is working. Spending so many hours creating these 'battles' among themselves is able to build a bridge to reach the real protagonists.

Jessica Bouzas interacts with Los Olvidados.

"This year, I was at the Mutua Madrid Open, and several people stopped me, asking if I was the one from the Davidovich account," Miguel tells us with some shyness. "Some thanked me because, based on my tweets, they had started following a player they didn't know before, but now they were super fans of him. That fills me with joy, I won't deny it. In fact, one day they changed Davidovich's match to a different court, and we were left without tickets, but thanks to one of Davidovich's best friends, we were able to get in and see him," he proudly reveals. An absolute triumph that holds double merit in an era where more than one seeks to set limits to humor.

"Today, it's not as easy for that kind of humor to succeed, but we push the boundaries in every space we open," he emphasizes with a hearty laugh. "For example, I remember when @BerridosDeMunar posted something outrageous after Munar lost to Arthur Fils at Roland Garros, to the point that Munar replied, 'Delete the tweet, we have to keep working' (laughs). We are not going to change; that touch is what makes these accounts special. I don't think we're going to bother or harm anyone, and we don't care about how many followers each account has; that style is non-negotiable, and we will maintain it no matter what," he asserts firmly.

Personally, I recognize my share of the blame for having contributed my two cents in that interview with Jaume Munar where, inevitably, I had to ask him about the @BerridosDeMunar account. […] What a good time we had recalling some tweets. But what about the rest? Is it possible to reach someone like Alcaraz or Badosa? "According to what Alcatraz has told us, the reality is that Carlos Alcaraz has a Twitter account but doesn't manage it himself, although they have confirmed from within that he does look at his tweets. In my case, I know that Davidovich doesn't have Twitter, but he knows something about what we are up to. Further back, players like Pablo Llamas, Jaume Munar, or Jessica Bouzas have interacted with us, even Paula Badosa wrote to us the other day asking for a wildcard for the tournament we held in Valencia (laughs). As we continue to grow, I think those interactions with players will also grow, especially with those ranked from the top 70 backwards," the Madrid native envisions excitedly.

A TOURNAMENT FOR DEBUNKING MYTHS

The peak of all this revelry arrived last June 21st on the courts of the Polytechnic University of Valencia, where a good group of those mentioned showed up with their backpacks to celebrate the 1st Edition of the Challenger ‘Los Olvidados, an occasion they took advantage of not only to spend the morning playing tennis but also to get to know each other personally beyond a screen. Can you imagine if, in addition to talent for tweeting, they also had it for competing?

“Honestly, there was a bit of everything, some showed up there with a fronton racket with the strings apart,” Miguel confesses amidst laughter. “There were also some hidden talents who claimed not to play very well and then it wasn’t like that. It was very funny because the day ended and many of us didn't even know each other's names, we referred to each other by the nicknames of our accounts, imagine recognizing each other in the tournament solely by our voices (laughs). About 18 of us gathered to compete along with a couple of extra people who came as spectators,” recounts the man who would end up being the champion of the edition, which is why we have given him the privilege of revealing to us all the secrets from his perspective. A pastime filled with humor that also involves other secondary missions.

"I believe that every player would like to have that small dose of recognition, especially those who do not enjoy much presence in the media," says the Madrilenian. "Pablo Llamas, for example, often interacts a lot with his account Pablo La Llama, it's super gratifying to see that kind of support from the player. Through humor and parody, what we aim for is to give a little more visibility to Spanish tennis, that is the real intention. I assure you that each person who manages an account strives to know when their tennis player is playing and inform about each victory, in the end, so much follow-up causes you to end up being their most loyal follower," he acknowledges based on his experience.

GOAL: RESCUING THEM FROM 'OBLIVION'

In other words, joking around is fine as a vehicle, but between jokes there is a destination point. "The background of all this is to support Spanish tennis, especially the players who are not under that media spotlight, who you might need to visit a pirate page to watch their matches. There is a meme part, obviously, but I assure you that the account that supports Irene Burillo or Oriol Roca Batalla is a true fan, a fan who watches their matches and analyzes them. Apart from generating content and interactions, if they do that, it's because they live it and want to promote their tennis player," he points out affectionately towards the work of his colleagues.

It may seem like a romantic goal to shift the focus beyond what happens in the Grand Slams or the top 100, but I can assure you they are achieving it. Hopefully, that focus will also point to those who pull the strings – quite literally – behind each account, multiplying the level of wit daily and giving us plenty of hilarious moments. "Here there is a bit of everything, most people probably don't care, although I'm sure some prefer to remain anonymous," says Miguel, one of those who has no problem revealing his identity. "I don't know, maybe it loses a bit of magic to show your face, I like the idea of keeping the mystery about who is behind each account. In my case, I absolutely don't mind, sometimes I have uploaded my photos, so I don't care," resolves the man who now seeks to start a more serious and analytical project that delves into creating tennis content on social media.

There's nothing better than diving into the sea of 'The Forgotten' to fall in love again with a social network that is still worth it. "If you manage to enjoy tennis with humor, following certain not-so-well-known players through our accounts, I am convinced that the experience can be much more fun and enjoyable. At least, that's how it is for us. It's hard to get into this world, but once you get hooked, you won't let go. For us, this is the best sport in the world, so I invite everyone to follow us, give us a chance, I assure you that you will enjoy it," Miguel concludes.

You've heard it. If you like tennis and have a troll inside you, this is your place.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, ‘Los Olvidados’, el fenómeno viral que promueve el seguimiento de todo el tenis español

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