Davidovich: “The Grand Slams? The level is there, one day it will come out”

Alexander Davidovich (1999) captivating as ever and dominant as ever. Although still discovering himself, in search of his true limits, the man from Malaga continues to revel in his progress, one of those whose creative tennis is capable of recruiting new stalwarts to this inspiring and addictive sport, fire in his daring game and electricity in his legs.

Established in the world top-40, Davidovich continued to be Davidovich but at the same time met another Davidovich in his process of mental maturation, the one who had just mastered the “cult” he carried inside as his own coach, Jorge Aguirrethe ‘loquillo’ that will play you a serve from the bottom in the fifth set at Wimbledon.

In line with what has been shown this year so far, the man from Malaga is analyzing in MD what has happened this season and what can happen, studying what he has to improve, that point to enter the top-20 as suggested. It was hardly a matter of a spark for the volcano ‘Foki’ to explode for good.

Now Hamburg, then Toronto… How do you deal with the next tournaments after losing Wimbledon and Bastad in the first round?

I don’t want to think about what’s next, in the end there’s a lot left and a different surface (referring to Toronto). I prefer to focus on Hamburg, which is a 500 and very important. We are ready for every game and the coming ones, I am playing at a good level. Yes, it’s true that in Bastad I was more lost in the surface change, but I was very confident, Wimbledon gave me more confidence and I was more calm in myself. The level is there and a week will come out.

Proposed to finish the year in the top-20 (now 39). Where does that happen both on a gaming and mental level?

There is still a lot left, 7,000 points are still at stake, half a year on the Tour more or less, a lot of points and in the end you never know if you can do well in the Masters 1,000 and thus go up a lot in the rankings.

We are calm, we are like never before, without bumps. I’ve been playing at a good, more consistent level for half the year and we’ve won the same games as last year. We have that peace of mind knowing that the level is there and it is a matter of one week exploding. You have to continue with that dynamic.

What exactly is that missing point to achieve a good result in a tournament, more than usual for this year?

Win top players and continue the same dynamic. In the end, what I may lack these years is perseverance, for example, I don’t want to go to a tournament. This year is different, we are focused on the Tour and laying the foundations to continue to grow.

When they lose this year it is against top players as they say and with close results, with several sets lost in tie-breaks. For example, he lost two sets against Djokovic at Roland Garros in a tiebreaker. Perhaps this is a complicated question, but what should be done differently so that the tie-breaks fall on your side?

No difference. I won’t tell you that a tie-break is heads or tails, but in the end there are only 7 points where you have to be very focused. I’ve won a lot of tie-breaks this year but I have to keep going, one or the other will fall. They haven’t yet, but what follows is, it’s a matter of carrying on and not thinking about it. With Djokovic I had a set ball, also with Rune (at Wimbledon). I don’t stress too much because in the end we are two good players who fight and give our level, and, if it is resolved in a tie-break, it is because there are no more games.

At the moment there is talk above all about the Alcaraz-Djokovic duopoly in the discussion for the Grand Slam and then there are other youngsters like Rune or Sinner, a step behind. Do you see in that group that in the short or medium term they will be discussed in the big ones?

It’s not just Djokovic or Alcaraz, in the end there’s also Casper or Rune who stayed one or two matches to win a Grand Slam… This year I haven’t been past the third round in any Grand Slam, but I know the level is there. All the games I beat were very tight and I enjoyed my level. Now I have to take that small step in the previous tournaments and keep trying it at the next US Open and keep growing as a player and give my best version.

Are you currently too focused on incorporating something concrete into your game?

Good question. I am playing at a good level, having very good matches against people from the top-10, I have to believe in myself more than putting something else in my game. It’s more self-confidence than doing more crossing right, really.

You have improved a lot mentally, but how will you continue to improve with your psychologist Antonio de Dios?

It’s a matter of continuing to give your best in every game and, off the court, well, grow as a person, be more focused on what you want and find new goals off the court as well, and eventually that will show on the court. We work on staying consistent, staying calm, always believing in yourself, that you have a level and one week it’s going to fall and be there in the moment.

We mentioned Carlos Alcaraz. What is the formula to beat him now at the level he is at? You had a good chance of defeating him in Conde de Godó.

Ultimately, he’s another opponent to beat, but he’s playing at a high level. That is also what gives us the reference to continue improving ourselves, which is ultimately what we base ourselves on to improve ourselves, to give our highest level. That Carlos is at a high level helps us improve and compete to beat him, because beating him now is a prize. He is very young and already has two Grand Slams and several Masters 1,000s and this is good for us for the Davis Cup.

We come from a generation that, apart from Rafa Nadal, has had several top-10s. How do you see the current situation of Spanish tennis?

Number 1 is Spanish, there’s nothing you can do… (laughs). The others, everyone has their own path and level and, obviously, you can’t compare the generation that Rafa, Ferrer, Verdasco, Feli became… top-10 players (Feli was close to the top-10 when he became world number 12 in 2015). We are talking about very good people and now a little more youth is missing to do that. Now we are Carlos, then me, Zapata (number 54), Goalkeeper, although now he has gone a little further (130)… But there are quite a few players who play at a high level and they will start to get involved.