A lot of changes that could be paying big dividends for Alejandro Davidovich Fokina

  • Posted: Aug 09, 2024

Alejandro Davidovich Fokina earned his biggest win of the season Thursday at the Omnium Banque National présenté par Rogers, where he upset third seed Daniil Medvedev.

“It’s not been an easy year for me,” the Spaniard said in his on-court interview. “A lot of changes in my life.”

One of those changes was to his team. Davidovich Fokina had worked with coach Jorge Aguirre from age 11, but at Roland Garros former No. 7 in the PIF ATP Rankings Fernando Verdasco became his coach.

“It’s a lot of years that I was with him and at the end, I think I was struggling about not going forward from the ranking [where] I was,” Davidovich Fokina, who reached a career-high World No. 21 last year, told ATPTour.com. “I think we had our limits. I decided to change [to] Fer because I think I have to have a top player that can tell me things that maybe my coach could not say. Because at the end, the feelings and the emotions and everything that Fernando has on court all his career, he will know how to manage those times.

“We started in Roland Garros, and we didn’t have a lot of time together. But we are working every day, and we are enjoying each other, because we know [each other] very well, and I know his family, and he knows me. He knows my people around me, then we are enjoying it.”

When Davidovich Fokina was growing up, Verdasco was one of the best players in the world. The younger Spaniard fondly recalls his coach’s memorable 2009 Australian Open semi-final against Rafael Nadal, which Nadal won in five gripping sets.

“The tie-break that he played that he was up 6/0 in the tie-break and how he played that tie-break, all the match was amazing,” Davidovich Fokina said. “But we always talk about that and the game with [Andy] Murray too, there are a lot of matches that we can talk about, and we’re still talking about it.”

The pair first met at the 2019 cinch Championships held at Queen’s Club in London. Davidovich Fokina was competing at the tournament for the first time and Verdasco was also in action.

“I felt that he cared about me when we met each other,” Davidovich Fokina said. “Through all the years, he was talking to me, he was helping me. He was texting me always. I was thinking, ‘Oh, he helps me sometimes’, and when… I saw that he’s more coaching, I said, ‘Okay, I think this is my time to do a change, and I think this is the right time’.”

Verdasco explained that they have always had a great relationship since they first met. When Davidovich Fokina called to ask for help, the lefty said he would do whatever he could.

“We ended up trying in Roland Garros, Queen’s and Wimbledon. Even though he couldn’t play Wimbledon, we were happy spending time together,” Verdasco said. “We’ve had a good relationship since the beginning, so it didn’t change at all. I think that’s the most important thing, that we had a good relationship before. At the end, the connection is very important to work good and to actually understand each other in an easier way.”

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That was not the only change in 2024 for Davidovich Fokina. The Spaniard moved to Monte-Carlo and also got engaged.

“Well, at the end, it’s not easy, changes in your life,” Davidovich Fokina said. “I think the changes have to have a little bit of time to process everything, to settle down and to make sure what you want. And at the end, I’m very, very happy with the team I have right now with Fer. I think he’s helping me a lot and at the end, to have one guy next to you that he was one of the best guys on Tour, for me, it’s a huge help.”

The 25-year-old had a big smile on his face when he discussed his January engagement to his fiancé, Paloma. He said he was more nervous for that moment than closing out Medvedev in Montreal, and it was not particularly close.

“It’s very special. At the end, you always dream about that, to have a family, and we moved to Monte-Carlo too. Then we left Spain,” Davidovich Fokina said. “Everything is new in my life now. It’s not always easy [figuring out] how to adapt to it, because at the end all my life, I’ve been in Spain. I’ve been in my comfort zone, and going outside of my comfort zone is not easy. But I think I’m adapting very good. At the end, things are not going to come very quick. We have to wait and fight for it.”

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