A “no” to an invitation from Djokovic: the decision that Alejandro Tabilo made a few weeks ago and which was the key to shining in Rome

Alejandro Tabilo easily eliminates the Chinese Zhang Zhizhen. He needs two sets (and only one hour and 26 minutes, another parameter which reflects an obvious superiority over his rival) to get rid of the Asian, who was not just any rival: he occupies 56th place. The Chilean born in Toronto repeats a feat that seemed forgotten for Chilean tennis: since 2009, no national representative has reached the semi-finals of a Masters 1000. The last one to have achieved it was Fernando González, by chance, in the same Foro Italico which today, once again, a national was saluted.

Jano rubs shoulders with the most exclusive tennis in the world . From you to you. Although the most precise is to say that he is already part of this small group that becomes the protagonist of the tournaments that he organizes. The ranking is indeed the best signal. He opens the week in 32nd place, its best historical ranking, although the already notable participation that it plays in the Italian capital will elevate it even more. On Live, he is already in the 25th box. If he wins the tournament, he will automatically enter the group of the 20 best in the world and would, strictly speaking, be closer to that of the 15. . The dream of reaching the Top 10, which sometimes seemed like a pipe dream, is starting to transform into a perfectly achievable goal. His checking account is growing, too: so far, almost $310,000.

In Rome, Tabilo dealt the big blow of his career: he eliminated Novak Djokovic. Beyond the doubts about the condition of the Serb, who a few days earlier had suffered a bottle accident while responding to the fans’ requests, the concrete fact is that this is the most important triumph in the life of the Chilean. Without exaggeration, this victory put him at the forefront of the world stage, even more than the title he won at the start of the year in Auckland, one of the competitions on the calendar to prepare for the first Grand Slam: l ‘Australian Open. This year, Tabilo also reached the ATP Finals in Santiago.

A few weeks before Rome, Tabilo He dared to reject an invitation that few could rule out. . He had been eliminated in Madrid, so he decided to participate the following week in Challenger 175 in Aix-en-Provence. In the meantime, he received a call from Djokovic, who made him an attractive proposition: the invitation to go train with him for four days in Montenegro, all expenses paid of course . This is where the fatherly advice was born. “I told him not to go. They were already looking at him. Obviously, it was a success. “. explains Ricardo Tabilo, in conversation with El Deportivo.

The story ends in the best way possible. In the final of the French competition, The Chilean got rid of the Spaniard Jaume Munar (73rd) in two sets and reached his best historical ranking in the world rankings: 32nd. . Destiny and the draw of the Masters 1000 in Rome would indeed bring him closer to Djokovic, even if now the plan and the result would be different: in the round of 16, he would send him home and add a golden page to his own history .

During his career, and even in his life, Tabilo had to make bigger decisions. The most famous and ultimately transcendent was the choice of Chile as the country he would defend in his career, when it could perfectly have accompanied his name in the classification of the flag of Canada, the country in which he was born. “We had an agreement with Alejandro, who said that when he entered the top 400 he would play for Chile, because if he was too low they were going to cheat him. However, he didn’t like this idea very much. “, his father, Ricardo, told Deportivo some time ago. The step that forced the determination is also known: a resounding victory over Nicolás Jarry in an upcoming match in Halifax. After a resounding 7-6 (6) and 6-4 for left-handed , who was then ranked 856th, ahead of Nico, who was 423rd in the ranking, his parents fulfilled their commitment: the next day, his mother contacted the Chilean consulate to start applying for citizenship. The bond was already much more intense than the simple piece of paper or the new passport: Jano feels Chilean. For example, he is a fan of suits.

Today, in Rome, he also has a piece of Chile with him. He is traveling with friends, his girlfriend is accompanying him and in the next few hours his parents will join him. “The game ended and I started to gather my things. We leave in four hours “, explains Ricardo Tabilo. He is naturally happy and proud.

Another decisive decision was the one he made six years ago. At that time it was part of the antechamber of the larger circuit. The problem was that even at that level he couldn’t stand out. He left Challenger early and in Futures he didn’t win any titles either. His physical form was different. He weighed 100 kilos, a lot for an athlete who measures 1.88 meters. He suffered from lower back pain. The shock was so strong that he began intense work which brought him to 65 kilos. . The extreme change did not favor him either: he became unbalanced, lost power and depth. It was at this time that she began her relationship with Guillermo Gómez, with whom she decided to stop competing for four months, until she reached optimal condition. . From that moment on, everything started to change.