Salazar on the partner change: ”It was a bit of a forced decision"

Alejandra Salazar has had a turbulent season after her regular partner, Tamara Icardo, got injured. Now, she opens up about the challenges she has faced and the decision to end their partnership, in an interview with the Spanish newspaper Mundo Deportivo.

It's no secret that Salazar has had to deal with several partner changes throughout the year, unable to build anything long-term. The problems began when Icardo sustained an injury in the spring and was forced to withdraw from numerous tournaments.

As a result, Salazar had to find short-term partners while waiting for Icardo to be ready to compete again. But when Icardo's recovery took longer than expected, the decision was finally made ahead of the Madrid tournament that the two would go their separate ways, allowing Salazar to start a new project.

Salazar commented on the situation in Mundo Deportivo and explained how the decision was difficult but necessary.

— "It was a bit of a forced decision because we expected to be back together in September. During the tournaments I played with Vero Virseda, I kept her informed about how Tamara was doing, and she knew the situation; honestly, she was fantastic. So, when August came, Tamara told me she would be ready to compete in September. I passed this on to Vero, and she began searching for a new partner to compete with after the summer."

She continued:

— "And here’s where registration deadlines come into play, something you don’t often see. The tournament was in September, but the list closed on August 16. On the evening of August 14, Tamara called me and said that the examination showed she still wasn't completely okay, that she didn’t feel she could be fully ready in the remaining 15 days, and that she wanted to recover fully to avoid a setback."

Alejandra Salazar further explained that it was Icardo who realized she couldn’t give an exact date for her return, and thus understood that Salazar needed to find a new partner to establish a more stable and long-term collaboration.

— "In the end, it was a bit of a joint decision, although it was also forced in a way, but with a super great relationship between us. It’s a shame because we were so excited to see where the pair could have gone. Right when she got injured, we had been playing several semifinals against Bea and Delfi, who have been very strong this year, so it was a sign that we were getting better and better."

Since September, Alejandra Salazar has been playing alongside Jessica Castello, while Tamara Icardo is making her long-awaited comeback at next week's Paris Major, where she will compete with Claudia Jensen.