Alejandro Davidovich Fokina experienced an extraordinary breakdown in his partnership with coach Mariano Puerta whilst playing at the French Open.
Fokina, who was the 21st seed in the men’s draw, was beaten in the second round by Thiago Agustín Tirante, who came back from a set down to win 4-6, 7-6(4), 6-1, 6-3. It is a frustrating loss for the former quarter-finalist, who served for a two-set lead before getting broken. It is the fifth tournament in a row he has failed to get back-to-back wins.
During his clash with Tirante, coach Puerta was not seen in the stands with his team. On Tuesday, French media reported that the two had a fight that resulted in the end of their collaboration.
However, Fokina has dismissed those rumours by confirming he was ditched by his mentor, who didn’t contact him in person about his departure before flying out of the country the same day.
“After the (first round) match against Dzumar, we had lunch and after that, I went to cool down a little bit. He said he was feeling bad. He was going to the hotel and everything was normal,” Fokina said during his press conference.
“In the afternoon, like two or three hours later, he texted me this message that he will not continue and whatever.
“He didn’t say anything to anybody in the team. He just took the flight and flew to Miami without saying a word to us.”
Elaborating further, the world No.23 claimed that Puerta has done similar things to other players he has previously worked with. Although no names were mentioned about who they were.
“He is an adult who makes his own choices. I don’t know if I’m gonna respond to that message,” Fokina continued.
“We didn’t fight. Everything was normal. In the match, everything was normal. I don’t know what to say because it was strange but nothing can surprise me anymore.
“I’ve had a lot of things throughout my career. So this is another thing.
“I thought that he was a very good person. After that, I discovered that he had done it a couple of times before with other players. I was like, okay, it was my fault to hire him.”
Puerta is a former top 10 player best known for his run to the 2005 French Open final. Shortly after, he tested positive for a banned substance in what was the second doping controversy he had been caught up in after being suspended for nine months in 2003. He was initially handed an eight-year ban before successfully appealing for it to be cut down to two years by arguing the substance was too small to enhance his performance, and it was accidentally consumed.
Puerta has not publicly spoken about the ending of his work with Fokina after less than a year.
Fokina is currently Spain’s second-highest-ranked player on the Men’s Tour after Carlos Alcaraz.
