Alexander Davidovich participates for the eighth consecutive time at Roland Garros. The man from Malaga, twenty-first seed in the draw and the best-ranked Spaniard of all those in contention after the absence of Carlos Alcarazsits down with MARCA to talk about his season and his goals.
Ask. Has the abdominal injury you had in Miami not allowed you to arrive at Roland Garros with the best performance of matches?
Answer. Obviously not playing or training for a month affects you a little because it is true that we were very excited to play on clay. These are things that happen and you have to accept it and play with that handicap. Everyone plays well and I have been saying for years that any ‘top100’ can beat a ‘top10. Everything is very even. If you are away for a month it is difficult to regain confidence. It’s like starting over.
Q. Do you see yourself as a better tennis player than the one who made the fourth round at Roland Garros five years ago?
R. Yes, I am a better player because I have been there for many years. I am a different person regarding that Roland Garros. It was a sporadic week in which I also had a bit of luck in the draw. I was also lucky in the match with Ruud. Right now I am someone who is more stable, calmer on the track and more aware of all the things I do on and off the track.
Now I am more aware of all the things I do on and off the court
Q. What are you looking for with the incorporation of Pepo Clavet on the grass tour?
R. Let’s try it on grass. I have known Pepo for many years and I get along well with him. We have talked, we have had meetings, but we have not tested on the track. It’s a matter of testing if he likes me and if I like him. If we fit on the court and get along, we can contribute many things to each other.
Q. Last season you approached the top ten positions in the ranking. Is the goal this year to reach the top 10?
R. Yes, the ‘top10’ is something that is there, but it is something I don’t think about. I think about playing game by game. I don’t think about the ranking. I’m at a stage where I’m very hungry, but I’m taking things easy. If I retired tomorrow, I know that now I am giving one hundred percent of what I do and I would retire peacefully. That’s why I’m calm. There will be matches in which I break a racket or lose the clamp, but I don’t give it that importance because I know that off the court, with the team, we are working hard. It is clear that there is an objective that is to win tournaments, win games, to have a better ranking… If we give 100 percent and something happens tomorrow, and I have an injury that I can’t play anymore, then that’s it. Life changes very quickly. The goal is the ‘top10’, but I don’t think that I have to win, win and win. I try to enjoy.
Q. From the outside it seems like you control your emotions on the track much better.
R. Yes, everything that happens off the track is reflected on it. Now off the track I have the equipment I want, I live where I want, I will surely create a family soon. I have a lot of stability.
The goal is the ‘top10’, but I don’t think about winning, winning and winning, I try to enjoy
Q. We have been demanding the arrival of Spanish players to the elite for a long time. Finally they are here with Rafa Jódar, Martín Landaluce, Dani Mérida…
R. They seem like very good players to me. I have been seeing Landaluce in the ATP for more years. Jódar and Mérida have entered this year. Each one has its potential. It is their first year that they are up there and everything is always more beautiful, new cities, without that pressure. It’s easier to play so to speak. I also played easier the first year and I know the pressure will come next year. Now no one knows you, no one knows how to play you. As time passes you know where you’re lagging. It seems that they all have a lot of potential and I hope that they do well because the more Spaniards, the more competitiveness there will be between us.
Q. You were scheduled to speak with coach David Ferrer at the Mutua Madrid Open. Did they get to sit down?
R. I just went quickly to Rome and we didn’t talk. We are going to talk here at Roland Garros. It is not something that is very urgent either, calmly. I think we will sit down when I finish at Roland Garros. It will be a very calm conversation, he will say his opinion and I will say mine. We will exchange ideas for the future.
I will speak with Ferrer here at Roland Garros, I have always been and will always be available to play for Spain
Q. Do you want to be eligible again?
R. I have always said it, that I have always been available for Spain. The thing is that I have gone through some injuries and I have preferred to take care of my body. At the US Open I hurt my tendon and I didn’t know what could happen if I forced it. That was why I decided not to play in Marbella even knowing that Marbella is my home and it was on land. Sometimes you have to prioritize. I have always been and will be available to play for Spain.