Davidovich Fokina on full-circle moment & stellar season: 'I have more to show'

Alejandro Davidovich Fokina

Davidovich Fokina on full-circle moment & stellar season: 'I have more to show'

Spaniard is 13th in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin

Corinne Dubreuil/ATP Tour Alejandro Davidovich Fokina owns a 21-11 record in 2025. By Jerome Coombe

Alejandro Davidovich Fokina has been making some serious noise on the ATP Tour in 2025.

After letting slip match points in the Delray Beach final, the 25-year-old responded with a runner-up finish in Acapulco and a semi-final run in Monte-Carlo. Yet despite the high stakes and intensity that have surrounded his season, Davidovich Fokina speaks to ATPTour.com at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia in a calm and measured way.

“It’s always nice to be back in Rome,” said the Spaniard, who got engaged in the Italian capital last January. “It feels like home… All the best friends and family of my fiancée are from here. It’s always a pleasure to come back here to the Foro [Italico] and play with the Italian crowd.”

Climbing 42 spots to No. 26 in the PIF ATP Rankings this season, Davidovich Fokina has delivered some high-quality tennis, highlighted by consecutive hard-court finals and a strong start on the clay. With his fiancée, Paloma Amatiste, he moved to Monaco last June, and the off-court changes appeared to take its toll on his tennis.

But Davidovich Fokina claims to have found his feet, and he is now reaping the rewards.

“The funny thing is that everything started here,” said Davidovich Fokina. “One year ago, I moved to Monaco and everything changed. To get out of my comfort zone was a tough decision but I’m very happy about it in the end.

“The last six months were not easy, but it gave me a lot of energy and a lot of vision off the court. I know that I have more potential to show, and I’m doing great this season.”

That growth has been guided in part by coach Felix Mantilla, the former World No. 10 who claimed 10 tour-level titles during his career. Fittingly, the last was at the Italian ATP Masters 1000, and his expertise is sure to aid Davidovich Fokina’s run in Rome this year.

“His experience as an ex-Top 10 is another level,” Davidovich said of Mantilla. “Maybe I don’t see things that he already did in the past. Off the court, he can advise me how to manage things. He’s a very calm guy and that’s what I needed.”

Thirteenth in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin, Davidovich Fokina is firmly in the mix for a debut at the Nitto ATP Finals. Still, he’s keeping himself grounded.

“The season is very long, there are a lot of points until the end of the year,” added Davidovich Fokina. “Now I’m focused on every tournament, to be mostly in the Top 20 in the Race, to stay over there. Of course, if I’m going up it’s better, but I’m not thinking about the end of the year.”

Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in action at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters. Photo: Corinne Dubreuil/ATP Tour.

While Davidovich Fokina may not have his sights firmly set on the prestigious season finale, he possesses a weapon that is sure to help. Long known for his athleticism, the 25-year-old is also proving one of the Tour’s most versatile players.

“I think I’m a guy that can adapt on every surface. I just need one or two days to adapt, but in the end I’m playing good on all surfaces,” Davidovich Fokina said. “I’m very grateful how my game can adapt so quickly.”

Davidovich Fokina has already scored three Top-10 wins this season: He downed top seed Taylor Fritz in Delray Beach, Jack Draper in Monte-Carlo, and Andrey Rublev in Barcelona — all in straight sets. He also came mighty close to making it four in Madrid two weeks ago. The Spaniard let slip a set and a break lead, before falling 6-2, 6-7(3), 6-7(0) to top seed Alexander Zverev in the third round.

“They are always tough battles with Zverev,” said Davidovich Fokina, who trails 1-5 in his Lexus ATP Head2Head series with the German. “But there were two details with which I could win the match.

“It’s a process. I didn’t play good in the tie-break and I didn’t know how to manage that tie-break, but it’s a process. After the match, we understood a lot of things and that tie-break was helpful, because for sure it won’t happen again.”

Davidovich Fokina is eager to bounce back quickly in Rome, where he owns a 4-5 record according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index. He will face lucky loser Jesper de Jong on Saturday and could set a third-round meeting with World No. 1 and home favourite Jannik Sinner.

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