Alejandro Davidovich Fokina Slams David Ferrer for Snubbing him after Carlos Alcaraz’s Inclusion for the Davis Cup Finals
Alejandro Davidovich Fokina is currently competing at the Swiss Indoor tournament where he's into the round of 16.
Follow Us
Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, David Ferrer, and Carlos Alcaraz (via X/The Tennis Letter/Alejandro Davidovich Fokina)
🔍 Explore this post with:
Alejandro Davidovich Fokina was one of the most notable absentees from David Ferrer‘s squad for the Davis Cup Finals in Bologna, Italy. The Spaniard now feels insulted by the omission from the squad. Carlos Alcaraz, Jaume Munar, Pedro Martinez, and Marcel Granollers have made the list.
Davidovich Fokina has been one of the standout players on the ATP this season. He has been to three finals this year, first at the Delray Beach Open, where he stunned Taylor Fritz en route to the final. But then lost the championship match against Miomir Kecmanović in three sets. He then got to his second final a few weeks later at the Mexican Open.
There, he fell to Tomas Machac. However, with his brilliant form, he went on to have a good run at the Monte Carlo Masters, reaching the semi-finals before losing to fellow compatriot Alcaraz. He then earned another tour-level final, this time at the Citi Open in Washington, D.C., and faced Alex de Minaur.
But the World No.18 failed to claim the victory finishing as runners-up. For his impressive display on the court, Davidovich Fokina believes that he’s meant to have a place in Spain’s Davis Cup Finals list. This comes after Alcaraz was included in the squad despite not taking part in any of the qualifiers.
Davidovich Fokina is currently at the Swiss Indoor tournament, where he’s the eighth seed. In an interview with MARCA, he was asked about his omission. The Spanish No.2 revealed that Ferrer called him to inform him that he won’t be part of Spain’s Davis Cup team:
David called me a week ago to inform me I would not be in the first list. Even before that call, I had told him he could count on me. It will always be a source of pride for me to represent Spain, but in the end it was his decision and I accepted it. I’m at my best ranking, world number 18, and I’m the number two Spaniard. I feel very proud of the work I have done with my team this year, especially coming from a difficult year before.
Martinez and Granollers often play doubles for Spain at the Davis Cup, leaving Munar and Alcaraz to represent them in singles. Munar’s selection comes from the fact that he was one of their best players during the qualifying round, especially against Denmark in September, while Alcaraz’s addition strengthens the team.
Alejandro Davidovich Fokina believes being a fifth player at the Davis Cup will be an insult
The Davis Cup allows room for a fifth player, which is mostly viewed as a backup player during the Finals. Though the rules are that four or five players can be selected, a fifth player often stands as a replacement to any of the four players who get injured during the course of the tournament or withdraw from the event. Teams often do not choose a top player as a backup for the tournament.
However, because Alejandro Davidovich Fokina loves to be in the Davis Cup Finals for Spain, he was asked during the aforementioned interview whether he would still be open to being the fifth player. The World No.18 revealed that it will be an insult to him if he becomes a backup player:
Being ranked number 18 in the world, I believe I deserved to be among the four best players of my country, with all due respect to my teammates, who as I have said are also great players. Now, my objective is to focus on what’s left of the season and prepare to reach the highest level next year.
Davidovich Fokina is into the round of 16 of the Swiss Indoor tournament after beating Lorenzo Sonego in straight sets on Tuesday (October 21). The Spaniard will now face American star Jenson Brooksby for a place in the quarter-finals of the tournament.
/techfirstnow/media/agency_attachments/kATjCXskQdJKkXN0OuqW.png)