PARIS (AP) — Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, a Spanish tennis player, faced an unexpected situation during the French Open. After winning a grueling five-set match in the first round, Davidovich Fokina planned to continue under the guidance of his coach, former Roland Garros finalist Mariano Puerta. They shared a meal before Puerta withdrew due to feeling unwell and left for his hotel.
Davidovich Fokina discovered several hours later that Puerta would not be staying in Paris. “He messaged me that he will not continue,” the player stated on Wednesday following his second-round defeat to Thiago Agustín Tirante, with scores of 4-6, 7-6 (4), 6-1, 6-3.
Ranked 23rd, Davidovich Fokina added that other coaching staff remained uninformed as Puerta flew to Miami. “I heard that he did that a couple of times before with other players,” he mentioned, describing such behavior as typical for Puerta.
Puerta’s tennis career has been marked by controversies, including two doping suspensions. His career peak came at the 2005 French Open final, shortly before testing positive for etilefrine, a banned stimulant. Initially facing an eight-year ban, Puerta reduced it to two years through an appeal, admitted in a 2020 interview that he fabricated details in front of the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
During his defense, Puerta claimed that contaminated water led to the positive test. His wife allegedly used the water to take medication that included etilefrine for menstrual cramps. However, Puerta later stated that ginseng and caffeine pills, prepared by a friend’s fitness coach, were the true sources of the banned substance.
Puerta, who received a previous suspension in 2003 for an anabolic steroid, retired from professional tennis in 2009. Reflecting on the recent departure, Davidovich Fokina said, “I thought he was a very good person. It was my fault to hire him.” Puerta has not addressed these recent comments.
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