Malaga tennis star Alejandro Davidovich crashes out of the US Open

Alejandro Davidovich is out of the US Open after a 6-1, 6-0, 3-6, 6-3 defeat in just over two hours to local favourite, the American Tommy Paul, on Friday evening.

In what was another example of inconsistency and perhaps mental fragility in decisive moments, Davidovich struggled in the first two sets against the 14th seed. He couldn't capitalise on early break opportunities, and his game inexplicably deteriorated.

Only in the third set did Davidovich start to resemble the player who had reached the third round without dropping a set. However, Paul had built a comfortable lead by then and didn't need to push himself too hard.

While Davidovich made a late effort to mount a comeback in the fourth set, it was ultimately unsuccessful, with Paul, who had previously defeated the Spaniard in Melbourne and Miami, seizing upon Davidovich's struggles and securing another victory, displaying a well-rounded game, with a strong serve and backhand.

This was a significant match for Davidovich, played on the grandest stage at Arthur Ashe Stadium, with former women's tennis stars such as Lindsay Davenport, Justine Henin and Kim Clijsters in attendance.

The draw in his section seemed relatively favourable, offering a clear path to the semi-finals if he could maintain his form from the North American tour.

However, while the Malaga-born tennis star's talent is undeniable, his mentality has often caused him to squander excellent career opportunities. In 2023 alone, there were several instances where his level has dropped off at key moments, including losing five match points in a row to Andrey Rublev in Dubai, the infamous underarm serve at Wimbledon against Holger Rune, or the windy semi-final in Toronto where he didn't put up much of a fight against Alex De Miñaur.