The US Open Swing got off to a bang, with some of the top players battling it out on the hard courts after a grueling clay-court and grass-court season. Although stars like Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz were missing from the tournament, it turned out to be quite an exciting affair in Washington. Eventually, it was Alex de Minaur who emerged triumphant as he defeated Spain’s Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in a thrilling three-set match. Although the Spaniard was heartbroken after his loss, he received a kind surprise from his compatriot, Carlos Alcaraz.

Davidovich Fokina gave his all in the entire tournament and even defeated the top seed, Taylor Fritz, en route to the final. However, he couldn’t seal off crunch moments in the summit clash as he lost the final set tiebreaker to finish second-best. Subsequently, Davidovich Fokina took to Instagram to share some glimpses of his time in Washington.

“Thank you for all the love, Washington! You guys were incredible all week, I truly felt at home. Big credit to @alexdeminaur, what an insane match, you deserve it. I can’t wait to be back on court and give it my all again! Vamos,” the Spaniard wrote, as he reflected on his emotional journey at the Citi Open. To his surprise, Davidovich Fokina had his compatriot cheer him up. Alcaraz commented on his post, saying, “Great things are coming.” Alcaraz has seen Davidovich Fokina’s game closely and knows that he possesses tremendous potential. Thus, it won’t be a surprise if Alcaraz’s words come true in the coming months.

Interestingly, the Spaniard was 5-2 up in the final set and even had three championship points to win his first title. However, he let the advantage slip and was reduced to tears after having come so far in the tournament and finishing runners-up. After their encounter, de Minaur revealed what he told Davidovich Fokina to console him.

Alex de Minaur’s message for Alejandro Davidovich Fokina

Goosebumps were felt as de Minaur scripted a thrilling comeback win which resulted in a heartbreak for the Spaniard. With a plethora of emotions out there on the court, de Minaur made a classy gesture and consoled his opponent, who was reduced to tears after the match. Subsequently, de Minaur explained what he said to Davidovich Fokina.

He revealed, “Yeah, look, it’s absolutely brutal. I feel for him. Look, nothing I could say in that moment was going to make the situation better. I just wanted to let him know how good of a player he is. He is way too good to not have a title. It’s just a matter of time. He’s an incredible player. He’s had five top-10 wins this year. He’s someone that no one wants to play against, right? Yeah, I did my best to try to make the situation a little bit better, but look, I know he’s on the up. His whole team knows he’s on the up. Everyone in the locker room knows he’s on the up. He’s going to be a very dangerous player to play against in the hard-court swing.”

However, Davidovich Fokina will have little time to regroup as he plays in the National Bank Open next. Can the Spaniard come back stronger after his heartbreaking Citi Open loss? Let us know your views in the comments below.