Spain's No. 2 tennis player suffered a heavy defeat at Roland Garros 2026 after being blocked by his coach.

This player is regarded as one of the most gifted figures in the sport today, yet he still lacks an ATP trophy to his name.

Alejandro Davidovich Fokina was eliminated early at Roland Garros 2026 following a loss to Argentine player Thiago Agustin Tirante in the second round, which took place on the afternoon of May 28 (Vietnam time).

The tournament's No. 21 seed began his campaign with an emotional comeback victory over Damir Dzumhur in the first round, a five-set marathon. However, this grueling match seemed to have significantly drained the stamina of the current second-best Spanish player (after Carlos Alcaraz).

Shortly after, French media revealed that Davidovich Fokina had a serious falling-out with his coach Mariano Puerta during the training session preparing for the second round. The heated argument led to the decision to end their partnership in the middle of the tournament. Puerta even blocked Fokina and his wife on all social media platforms.

Puerta—a former player who reached the Roland Garros final in 2005—had only joined Davidovich Fokina's coaching team at the beginning of this year. Nevertheless, the relationship quickly collapsed after just a few months of working together.

The off-court turmoil seemed to heavily affect Davidovich Fokina's performance against Tirante. The Spanish player started the match not too badly but gradually lost control after losing the second-set tie-break. In the third set, he required medical attention for a leg issue in the scorching heat of Paris, eventually losing the match 1-3.

Born in 1999, Davidovich Fokina peaked at No. 14 in the world rankings. Possessing exceptional talent with heavy shots, clever wrist work, and exquisite drop shots, his unstable mental composure in decisive moments has prevented this Swedish-Russian descent player from claiming his first ATP title.

According to Marca, coach Pepo Clavet—who previously worked with Karen Khachanov—is likely to take over Davidovich Fokina's coaching team for the upcoming grass season. The Spanish player is expected to compete in the Stuttgart Open before heading to major tournaments in England such as the Queen's Club Championship and Wimbledon.