Evans Blasts “Pathetic” Davidovich Fokina Complaint

By Richard Pagliaro | Friday, August 1, 2025
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Alejandro Davidovich Fokina slammed ATP scheduling in Toronto.

Dan Evans delivered a stinging wake-up call to the Spaniard in response.

On his Instagram Stories, Evans called out Davidovich Fokina’s “pathetic” griping.

Reposting the Spaniard’s criticism, Evans posted “Wake up and play. The world wakes up and works 9-5 even 8-6. Pathetic.”

The Briton’s blunt response came after Davidovich Fokina, who suffered a gut-wrenching loss to Alex de Minaur in last week’s Washington, DC final, ripped the ATP scheduling his National Bank Open match for 11 a.m.

Alejandro Davidovich Fokina

Every match starts at 12:30 p.m., except ours, which has been scheduled for 11 a.m.,” Davidovich Fokina wrote on Instagram Stories. “We’re staying one hour away from the club, which means that we have to wake up extremely early to arrive in good conditions. We asked for a change, but the answer was that everything was already sold: tickets, TV rights, etc. Once again, it’s clear that the players are not taken into consideration. The ATP always promises they’ll fix things, but nothing ever changes.”

Alejandro Davidovich Fokina blasts ATP scheduling in Toronto – Frustration at 11

Alejandro

Alejandro Davidovich Fokina has publicly criticized the ATP for what he sees as unfair and inconsiderate scheduling. The Spaniard expressed frustration after being assigned an 11:00 a.m. match at the Canada Masters in Toronto. 

The recently-crowned top-20 player will open Friday's action alongside Jakub Mensik, an hour and a half earlier that all other matches that day, which are scheduled to begin at 12:30 or later!

Staying an hour away from the tournament venue, Alejandro emphasized the difficulty of preparing properly under such conditions. Davidovich Fokina's attempts to adjust the schedule were rejected.

The ATP cited tickets, TV rights and other logistical factors that prevent them from changing the schedule. The Spaniard argued that player well-being continues to be ignored, stating they are not taken into consideration. 

The Washington finalist pointed out the inconsistency in scheduling, highlighting that he and his rival have to start the match at 11:00 while there are many courts available to make the schedule more even and flexible.

In a strong closing lines of his statement, Alejandro claimed the ATP regularly makes empty promises to fix issues. However, they remain only on paper, as nothing ever changes.

His post offers a rare glimpse into the frustrations competitors face behind the scenes and major stadiums, admitting it's not as great at t looks from the outside!

Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, Washington 2025

Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, Washington 2025© Stream screenshot

 

Alejandro wasted three match points against Alex de Minaur in a heartbreaking Washington final. The Spaniard cracked the top-20 with those points and defeated Corentin Moutet in the first match in Toronto. 

Davidovich Fokina will seek his spot in the last 16 against the Miami Open champion, Jakub Mensik.

"Today, I want to share my disappointment and frustration with ATP. Tomorrow, every match starts at 12:30 except ours, which has been scheduled at 11:00.

We are staying one hour away from the club, which means we have to wake up extremely early to arrive in good condition. We have asked for a change, but the answer was that everything has already been sold, including tickets and TV rights.

Once again, it's clear that players are not taken into consideration. Today, it happens to others, tomorrow it's me, and from the day after, all matches return to 12:30. There are plenty of available courts, and yet we are the only ones playing at 11:00.

The ATP always promises they will fix things, but nothing ever changes. This is not the first time it has happened, and when you are inside, you realize it's not as great as it looks from the outside," Alejandro Davidovich Fokina wrote.

Dan Evans rips 'pathetic' Alejandro Davidovich Fokina: World wakes up early and works

Alejandro Davidovich Fokina

Dan Evans had no sympathy at all for Alejandro Davidovich Fokina and his issues at the Toronto Masters, ripping his complaints about an early match schedule as "pathetic."

While Thursday action was ongoing in Toronto, the tournament organizers released their schedule for the next day.

And Davidovich Fokina, who is seeded at No. 20 and slated to play Jakub Mensik in the third round, wasn't happy a bit after seeing that his clash was scheduled for 11 AM local time – which is the earliest possible match schedule. The 26-year-old Spaniard took to social media to blast the ATP authorities. 

“Today I want to share my disappointment and frustration with the ATP. Tomorrow, every match starts at 12:30, except ours, which has been scheduled at 11:00. We’re staying one hour away from the club, which means we have to wake up extremely early to arrive in good condition. The ATP always promises they’ll fix things, but nothing ever changes. This isn’t the first time it happens, and when you’re inside, you realize that it is not as great as it looks from the outside," Davidovich Fokina wrote in the message.

Evans on Davidovich Fokina complaining about getting up very early: Pathetic

Evans, who is nine years older than Davidovich Fokina, literally had zero sympathy for the Spanish tennis player. Reacting to it through his Instagram account, the 35-year-old Briton pretty much told the 26-year-old he is in a privileged position and still complains. 

“Wake up and play. The world wakes up and works 9-5, even 8-6. Pathetic," Evans wrote.

This is not the first time that Evans has blasted players' complaints about the tennis schedule and calendar. In one of his interviews conducted earlier this summer, the two-time ATP champion suggested that some of his colleagues are hypocrites because they want to earn as much as possible but still complain about playing a lot. 

Meanwhile, Evans played at the Lexington Challenger this week, where he lost to Michael Zheng in the round-of-16. The 35-year-old has already appeared in 21 tournaments this year.