Interview with Alejandro Davidovich Fokina
"It would be a dream to be able to play a final at home surrounded by my people."
The Malaga player Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, current world number 52, kindly attended to us hours before playing his first round match at the ATP 500 in Dubai, in which he ended up winning 6-4 6-4 against Radu Albot.
What does it mean for you to play a tournament like the AnyTech365 Andalucía Open at home?
"Obviously playing any tournament at home is always a joy, but that it is an ATP 250 which is what I am basically playing all over the world now is a great emotion for me. I hope that some public is allowed and that so my family and friends can come and cheer me on and enjoy the atmosphere. It's going to be a pretty tough draw, but being able to enjoy the first tournament on clay here and continue with the European Clay Tour will be nice."
2020 Peter Staples/ATP Tour
You have trained many times at the Puente Romano Tennis Club, they are courts that you know very well, in fact you have already played two editions of the Challenger tournament. To what extent do you think this can give you an advantage?
"In the end, playing at home is always a plus, whether or not you want to motivate yourself like two hundred times more than playing anywhere else. Apart from the climate we have and the facilities of Puente Romano, it is obviously an occasion to enjoy."
Do you dream of being able to play a final in Marbella surrounded by your people cheering you on in the stands against a Top player?
"I wish I could be in a final, against Djokovic or against anyone, but reaching a final and especially at home, would be super nice for me, and even more so if I could already reach the trophy ... because my hair is even standing on end just think about it."
How are you handling all the COVID bubble protocol in tournaments?
"We are like stuck in a real bubble, I don't see the news, I don't even know what's happening in Spain, we go from the hotel to the club and from the club to the hotel, unable to go out anywhere, unable to take a walk, it's like thinking about tennis 24 hours a day, just tennis. In the end you have a lot of free time, you can't leave the room and you have to manage whatever it takes. In Marbella it will be strange, because despite having all my surroundings so close, I will not be able to do the usual of eating with them, sleeping at home, seeing my friends ..."
What are your expectations for this season?
"Basically keep improving both on and off the court. If we already talk about ranking, hopefully we can finish the year around the ‘Top-30’, play the Davis Cup with Spain and try to go to the Olympics."
