Alejandro Davidovich advanced to the round of 16 at the Toronto Masters 1000 after defeating Czech player Jakub Mensik 6-2, 6-4. The Spanish tennis player made headlines not only for his victory but also for his previous complaints about match scheduling.
"First of all, I want to clarify that I never said I couldn't play at 11 AM. I've played at that time all my life," Davidovich explained after his win. "The issue is that if all other matches start at 12:30, I don't understand why they scheduled us at 11."
Davidovich clarified that his social media post was meant as a call for fairness in tournament scheduling, pointing out that women's matches in Montreal all begin at 12:30 PM. The controversy attracted attention from fellow players, including Daniel Evans from Britain, who didn't hold back in his criticism.
"It's pathetic. Get up and play, people work from 9 to 5," Evans had commented about Davidovich's scheduling complaint.
Interestingly, Davidovich admitted that the backlash actually served as motivation. "Obviously, after posting that tweet, I read many comments. In some way, it motivated me because some people took it well, others badly," he said.
The Spanish player, nicknamed "Foki," emphasized that he had no issues waking up early, revealing he rose at 6:50 AM for the match. "I've gotten up many times at that hour to train, and I felt the same as if I were playing at 3 PM," he added.
Despite the controversy, Davidovich's performance on court spoke volumes. His comfortable straight-sets victory showed he wasn't affected by the early start time. Will the scheduling debate continue as the tournament progresses? For now, Davidovich lets his tennis do the talking.
