Alejandro Davidovich Fokina was left without his coach, Mariano Puerta, after Puerta abruptly quit via text message and flew to Miami following his player's first-round win at Roland Garros. The unexpected breakup forced the 21st seed to play his second-round match without guidance, which he lost. The coach also blocked all communication, a move the player found strange but not entirely surprising given Puerta's past behavior with other athletes.
PARIS, May 27 - The coaching partnership between Spanish tennis player Alejandro Davidovich Fokina and his mentor Mariano Puerta came to a sudden and dramatic end at the French Open , leaving the 21st seed to navigate the tournament alone.
The split occurred immediately after Davidovich Fokina's exhausting five-set first-round victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina's Damir Dzumhur. According to Davidovich Fokina, the two had lunch together after the match. Later, while the player was cooling down, Puerta claimed he felt unwell and retired to his hotel.
However, just a few hours later, Davidovich Fokina received a text message from his coach stating he would not continue with the team. Without any further explanation or discussion, Puerta boarded a flight to Miami, cutting off all communication by blocking the player's and his wife's phone numbers. This abrupt departure forced Davidovich Fokina to proceed without his coach's tactical and emotional support during his second-round match, which he lost to unseeded Argentine Thiago Agustin Tirante in four sets.
The Spanish player admitted the situation likely affected him subconsciously. He expressed a sense of betrayal upon learning that Puerta had apparently abandoned other players in similar fashion before, describing the realization as a personal fault for having hired him. Despite the unsettling episode, Davidovich Fokina maintained there was no fight or significant tension between them, noting their communication had been normal during the first-round match.
His pragmatic outlook framed the coach's sudden exit as the independent choice of an adult, something he has grown accustomed to witnessing throughout his career. The incident highlights the volatile nature of player-coach relationships on the professional tour and raises questions about professional conduct in high-pressure environments. The story was reported by Rohith Nair and edited by Pritha Sarkar, with additional reporting by Janina Nuno Rios
Tennis French Open Coach Breakup Alejandro Davidovich Fokina Mariano Puerta Roland Garros Player Abandonment
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