Coach Leaves After French Open Match, Leaving Player in Limbo

Alejandro Davidovich Fokina faced unexpected circumstances at the French Open. After a five-set victory in the first round, his coach, Mariano Puerta, unexpectedly left Paris. The Spanish player shared lunch with Puerta, a former finalist at Roland Garros, before taking a break to prepare for his next match. Puerta then told Davidovich Fokina he wasn’t feeling well and returned to his hotel.

“Two or three hours later in the afternoon, he messaged me that he will not continue,” Davidovich Fokina explained on Wednesday following his second-round defeat to Thiago Agustín Tirante, 4-6, 7-6 (4), 6-1, 6-3.

Ranked 23rd, Davidovich Fokina revealed Puerta did not inform the rest of the coaching team before taking a flight to Miami. “I heard that he did that a couple of times before with other players,” he mentioned during the press conference. “It seems normal for him.”

Mariano Puerta’s reputation in tennis carries controversy. As a former player, the Argentine faced suspensions due to two separate doping violations. Shortly after reaching the final of the 2005 French Open, Puerta tested positive for etilefrine, a prohibited cardiorespiratory stimulant, and received an eight-year ban. He later admitted in 2020 to lying in court to reduce his suspension, as reported by La Nacion.

Puerta initially defended himself by stating he drank from a glass used by his ex-wife for medication containing etilefrine. Fifteen years later, he changed his account, attributing the origin of the drug to ginseng and caffeine pills prepared by a friend of his fitness coach.

Previously, Puerta also tested positive in 2003 for an anabolic steroid, leading to his retirement in 2009. “I thought he was a very good person,” Davidovich Fokina reflected. “It was my fault to hire him.” Puerta has not publicly addressed Davidovich Fokina’s statements.

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