It was an offseason of engagements for several ATP Tour stars, including Casper Ruud, Felix Auger-Aliassime and Marton Fucsovics. Alejandro Davidovich Fokina joined the engagement club earlier in the season, and that is part of the reason why Melbourne holds a special place in his heart.
It is not for Davidovich Fokina’s second-round result last year at the Australian Open, but something that happened off court. The Spaniard bought an engagement ring for now-fiancée Paloma Amatiste in Melbourne before proposing shortly thereafter at the Trevi Fountain in Rome.
“In the end, you have to think that not everything is about tennis in your life,” Davidovich Fokina told ATPTour.com. “When you are with the woman of your life and you see you want to have a family with her and be with her all your life, I didn't have to wait for a lot of time to propose to her. I knew she was [the one].
“I was always telling everyone that I was more nervous than playing on any Centre Court, at a Grand Slam, at everything,” Davidovich Fokina said. “There were a lot of people there. I got very nervous.”
On 31 January 2024, Davidovich Fokina announced the news on social media. He had not spent a long time planning the special moment.
“I was like, ‘Okay, this is my decision. I will do it’. Maybe two months. I was not thinking about it a lot. I bought the ring here in Melbourne,” Davidovich Fokina said. “Then just after the Australian Open, we went one weekend to Rome. Everything was happening so fast.”
Davidovich Fokina went on to reach three ATP Tour quarter-finals in 2024 and is now No. 68 in the PIF ATP Rankings. He is now working with David Sanchez and Felix Mantilla.
“I'm very excited for the new season… There were tough moments in the middle of last year, with all the changes. I moved to Monaco, and there were a lot of changes in my life,” Davidovich Fokina said. “But we regrouped everybody in Monaco in December to do the preseason, and I think we did a very good preseason. Everybody stuck to their plans. We are very excited for what is to come, maybe not in the beginning of the year. We never know. But in the long term.”
Davidovich Fokina will face Shang Juncheng in the first round Sunday. The 25-year-old is not looking too far ahead.
“I always have a goal to say every year,” Davidovich Fokina said. “I think I will not say any goals this year. Just to play, and we will see what happens.”
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