Carlos Alcaraz fell last Monday, in the second round, but Spanish tennis reserved a double wild card in Shanghai. The Murcian has not been able to achieve it, frustrated in a scenario that, for one reason or another, still resists him; Nor did Rafael Nadal, double finalist (2009 and 2017), achieve it in his day; David Ferrer (2007) and Roberto Bautista (2016) were also denied, also stopped in the last episode. And now, after many twists and turns and all those unpleasantries, the curse will end this Sunday (10.30, Movistar+) in which one or the other, Alejandro Davidovich or Rafa Jódar, will be crowned. John McEnroe recently said it during a visit to Madrid: “The United States should study what is happening in Spain.” And maybe he's right.
Despite the early fall of Alcaraz, the great reference, national tennis once again shows muscle in a very complex terrain, but not so much because of the format - hard, outdoors - as because of the circumstances. At this point in the course, the tennis players are with their tongues hanging out and the competition is decided as much or more in the head than in the rackets. Davidovich, for example, arrives fresher in this last section and his change of approach worked against Alexander Zverev, who has a beating on his body and in the end succumbed: 5-7, 6-4 and 6-3, in 2h 02m. Jódar, for his part, combats fatigue with an exceptional mentality and after making four comebacks, he prevailed (6-3 and 6-4, in 1h 44m) over Daniil Medvedev, who could not and also contributed his part.
First thing in the morning, Davidovich wins and winks at chess: “Sicilian defense.” Indeed, the man from Malaga has completed a magnificent counterattack against the future number one, Zverev, and thus rounds off what has probably been the most brilliant tournament of his career. Not just because he reached the final - second in a Masters 1000, after Monte Carlo in 2022 - or because he beat the German, the most successful player of the year, but because of everything he has been offering during the last week. A weighty argument. At this level, the man from Malaga (27 years old) is close to what was sensed when he was younger and a different and superior potential was guessed in him, torpedoed by a mentality that described too many curves. Today it is not like that.
This serene, restful and mature version of the Andalusian is another story. This Sunday's final (10.30, Movistar+), against Rafa Jódar (6-3 and 6-4 against Daniil Medvedev), is simply the direct consequence of a change of direction. Gone are (at least until now) the complaints and oscillation of the old days, and here comes a new competitor who replicates based on control, measuring times, being constant and getting the reading of the games right. Know how to suffer, understand the game, not collapse. No sabotage. One click. After quite a few dalliances, a comprehensive and compact version, capable of overcoming adversity - he raised a match point against Frances Tiafoe, in the second round - and, above all, himself.
It is explained after defeating the German, who clearly dominated in the previous ones. Now 6-2. "I think you can see it. In the end, it is not easy to be away [travelling], because you have a lot of time to think. When you are on the circuit you don't realize it, but we are privileged to be here and be able to practice this sport. I think that before I was not enjoying it, I was very frustrated, and this time [the periods of absence, especially the two months of absence during the summer] has helped me to reflect a lot and see what I want to do with my future," conceded the man from Malaga, outstanding in a duel in which He showed off the best of his repertoire.
He didn't hold anything back: shots, serves – 82% of them first in, 85% of them for him – and defense. When appropriate, it was enlarged. With an impressive parallel backhand he decided the second set and, from there, Zverev's formidable performance with the serve began to decline. The German, who was suffering from an ailment in his right ankle and had resolved the previous rounds with skill, lost his lucidity in the opening ball and Davidovich went all out. His 18 direct points were of no use to him. With the ball in play, the Spaniard imposed his criteria. And the energies were also transcendental. “I'm not a robot,” said one, with 75 games already under his belt. And he added: "But you have to give credit to Alejandro. He played the way he had to play."
The winner embraces change. "I knew that, if I stayed involved in the match, I would have at least one chance. So I took advantage of it [with that backhand passer on the run] and, in the third, I think I was physically better. The opening break gave me a lot of strength. I simply focused on continuing to play, regardless of the result, and on enjoying," he reconstructed. "Winning against a Zverev who was serving and playing at an incredible level... In the end, he is going to be number one [he would have been if he had won, but he will have to wait], so I think it is the best victory of my career. Obviously, the final is very nice, but winning today against a player of such a level, who right now is the one who is playing the best, gives me a lot of confidence," he resolved.
