Davidovich Fokina wins first career title at Mallorca Championships

Fokina defeats Quinn 7-6, 6-3 for first ATP Tour title

Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, after losing five finals, has secured his first ATP Tour title. He defeated former world #3 Grigor Dimitrov in straights in the quarters and former world #36 Fabian Marozsan in three to reach his first grass court final.

It seems only fitting that the twenty-seven-year-old would win his first ATP title on home soil and become the first Spaniard to lift the trophy at the ATP 250 event in Mallorca.  

The pressure was considerably amplified by his opponent's level of play. Ethan Quinn from Fresno, California, was competing in his first career final at Tour level. The 2023 NCAA champion

Georgia Bulldogs are currently ranked #63, having reached a career-high of #48 in April. In the semis, the twenty-two-year-old dismantled former world #30 Nuno Borges from Portugal, 6-1, 6-2.  
Fokina, the #2 seed, is currently ranked #25, having achieved a career-high rank of 14 last fall. This was their first tour-level meeting with a trophy on the line.

Fokina won the toss and elected to receive. Quinn made 3/4 first serves, including an ace out wide, to hold at love while Fokina struck two winners and held to 15 to level. The American struck two additional aces and held at love for 2-1 while the Spaniard faced three deuce and two break points before holding to level.

Quinn competed in front of a partisan crowd with a level of composure beyond his years. Although he donated his first double fault, he held to 30 with a spectacular inside-out forehand. Fokina returned the favor with his first double fault and a hold to 30 for 3-3.

While there were few extended rallies, Quinn repeatedly struck the ball with greater depth and pace. The American held to 30 with two additional winners, including his fourth ace. Fokina, serving with new balls, opened with a double fault yet held to 30 for 4-4.

Quinn’s first serve deserted him as he missed 7/8, including three additional double faults, the last to dump serve. Fokina served for the set but gave back the break following a mishit forehand and two winning forehands from Quinn.

The American faced a deuce point but with two winners including an ace up the tee, held for 6-5 while Fokina held to 15 to force the breaker. With the boisterous crowd chanting “Foki” while fanning themselves in the stifling heat, they changed ends with the Spaniard leading 4-2. The American would win two additional points before conceding the set following a well-struck overhead from the Spaniard.

Fokina served first in the second and held to love while Quinn gifted his fifth double fault, faced break point and deuce, yet held to level. Fokina ripped his signature backhand down the line and held to 30 for 2-1 while the American, serving with new balls, donated his sixth double fault with a foot fault but held for 2-2 with his sixth ace.

Fokina opened the fifth with an extraordinary inside-out forehand and held easily to 15 for 3-2 while Quinn gifted two consecutive backhand errors and dumped a serve with his seventh double fault. While he repeatedly went for his second serve, the double faults proved costly.

Fokina, inching closer to the finish line, hit three winners, including two consecutive aces for 5-2 while Quinn, serving to stay in the match, faced 15-30 and held to 30 with two outstanding forehand winners.

The Spaniard served for the match and his first Tour-level title. Quinn took the opening point with a brilliant backhand down the line, but Fokina secured victory with three additional aces, the last on match point!

With so much on the line for both, it was a high-quality championship match that showcased power, variety, and poise under pressure. Fokina’s serve was decisive; he won 76% of first and 52% of second serve points while hitting six aces to just two double faults. He was similarly effective when returning, winning 23% of first and 56% of second serve return points. He was stellar when facing break points, saving 3/4 while converting 2/5.      

 
Both now head to Wimbledon for the season’s third grand slam. With just one day of rest, they’ll compete on the historic lawns of the All England Club. Fokina’s best performance at SW19 to date was two third-round appearances (2023 & 2025) while Quinn reached the second round on tournament debut last year.

The American takes on the 14th seed and world #16, Luciano Darderi, for the first time. At the Mallorca Championships, the Italian lost to Nuno Borges in the quarters in two tight sets.

Fokina is seeded 22nd at Wimbledon and has drawn the Argentinian southpaw, Juan Manual Cerundolo. Clearly a threat on the dirt given his 2021 title in Cordoba and his five-set, second-round defeat of world #1 Jannik Sinner at Roland Garros last month, he has demonstrated his pedigree on grass this week with a quarterfinal appearance in Eastbourne (l. Samuel).  

Currently ranked at a career high of #45 following his win at the ATP 175 event in Bordeaux, the younger brother of world #21 Francisco Cerundolo will pose a significant challenge on opening day.