Following the conclusion of the Asian Swing, Davidovich Fokina is arguably the most in-form player in the world after winning titles in Chengdu and Shanghai in the space of a few weeks.
The Spaniard was 0-5 in ATP Tour titles before this year, but as 2026 enters its final month, the 27-year-old is 3-0 in finals. He is up to a career-high of 13 and even has an outside shot at making the ATP Finals.
However, it all could have been very different if Davidovich Fokina had decided against sticking it out and knuckling down when he faced real adversity in his teenage years.
The right-hander didn’t drop a set on his way to the junior Wimbledon title in 2017, but after that, the then 18-year-old struggled to translate that success as a professional.
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Speaking before his Shanghai triumph, Davidovich Fokina said on Tennis Insider Club that he initially couldn’t handle the extra pressure and eyeballs on him.
When asked if his Wimbledon win gave him confidence, he replied, “Less, no. When I won Wimbledon juniors, I couldn’t handle a racket. You know when you do a big achievement, more eyes are looking to you.
“It was the first thing that I did something big in my tennis career. It was not easy. Three months after, I was playing Futures and I was losing matches that I should win. There was a moment that I wanted to quit tennis because I couldn’t handle that pressure.
“I didn’t have that confidence, for example, that I have right now or three years ago, four years ago. When you are 18, 19 and you’re playing good and you have three months that you are not winning matches and you are asking yourself, ‘Am I that good or just was one week that I did good?’
“It’s a different story from Rafa [Nadal] winning Grand Slams at 17, 18. For me, it was a different story. But you don’t earn that kind of money that you can go and continue playing tennis. You need some sponsors to pay the expenses for travel, for the team, for everything. After Wimbledon, it was tough.”
Davidovich Fokina dug in, reached a Futures final in San Sebastian in September 2017, before winning his first title at that level in Quinta do Lago (Portugal) in March 2018.
Bar a difficult 2024 season, where he was without a coach for long periods, Davidovich Fokina’s ranking has gone up every year since he turned professional in 2017. He finished last year ranked 14th in the world and at this rate, the Spain star could better that again in 2026.
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