On the brink of retirement, Italian tennis star Fabio Fognini pulled off an unforgettable feat against defending champ Carlos Alcaraz despite the historic blazing Wimbledon heatwave on Monday.

It may have been Day 1 at the All England Club, but it was possibly Fognini’s final Wimbledon outing. The final scoreboard read 7-5, 6-7(5) 7-5, 2-6, 6-1, reflecting a near-scare for Alcaraz during the thrilling and nail-biting chase. Although Spain’s Carlos ended on top in the final round after a prolonged draw, Fognini’s next-level thrills were a joy to watch.

After the duo spent 4 hours and 37 minutes on-court — finishing with the reigning champion on top, the feels were sincerely high not only among tennis fans but also the two who had just clashed against each in pursuit of a Wimbledon title.

With a full heart, the 38-year-old Italian veteran eventually took to his social media profile to not only cheer on Alcaraz but also celebrate his own farewell tour. “Last Wimbledon. On Centre Court, heart full,” he exclaimed on X. “Thank you to the crowd. And thank you @carlosalcaraz, a true champion (green heart emoji) (tennis ball emoji) @Wilmbledon.”

Even Wimbledon’s official account applauded the Italian superstar “for all the entertainment,” sharing a clip of Fabio proudly waving to the Centre Court crowd after making his Spaniard opponent sweat to clinch a tough win after five sets.

ALSO READ

Fabio Fognini and Carlos Alcaraz after the five-set Wimbledon opener

The former No 9 player in the PIF ATF Rankings said post the match: “I think this probably [the] best way to say [goodbye] to Wimbledon, and maybe for the tennis. That’s what I’m thinking now. I am happy for sure. I have a lot of emotion coming to my mind. Yes, was super amazing atmosphere over there. I enjoyed [it] a lot.”

An overly emotional Fognini never expected to play five sets against Carlos at Wimbledon. Despite his serene goodbye to the crowd, Fabio said that he cried in the locker room after his loss. “The way I was coming here, no expectation,” he said. “Since I started the year… after the injury, I was playing really bad. I didn’t win many matches… There is no better way to play in this court with a great champion that I have a lot of respect for, and for his team, because I know them very very well,” according to Wimbledon Press.

Meanwhile, the Spaniard champ couldn’t hold back his emotions either after the tennis clash. Reacting to Fabio’s retirement news on his own Instagram and X accounts, he wrote in disbelief, “38 years old?! (stunned emoji) Congratulations on an incredible match @fabiofogna! (handshake emoji) It was an honour to share this battle with you at Wimbledon.”

In his post-match comments, Carlos also expressed how stumped he was by his opponent’s Wimbledon goodbye decision. “To be honest, I don’t know why it’s his last Wimbledon, because the level he just showed, he can still play three, four more years,” he said. “I have to give him the credit of a great match. He’s a great player; he has shown during his whole career the level and the talent that he has … so I’m a little bit sad that it was his Wimbledon, but happy to have shared the court with him and the locker room with him.”

More about Fabio Fognini

Born on May 24, 1987, the right-handed tennis player achieved his career-high ATP ranking of world No 9 in 2019, making him the oldest player at the time to break into the Top 10 for the first time. The commendable milestone also made him the first Italian in the Top 10 since 1979.

According to the International Tennis Federation, he currently stands at No 138 (as of June 30, 2025). His year-end singles ranking for 2024 was 91. On the doubles side, he secured his career-high rank No 7 in 2015, but now he sits in the 1051st spot.

ALSO READ

Fognini’s nickname Fogna is also reflected in his Instagram username ‘fabiofogna.’ Italian pride personified, Fabio started playing tennis at just age 4. Tennis kind of runs in the family as his wife is Flavia Pennetta, the 2015 US Open women’s champion. As per the official ATP Tour website, the 38-year-old is a father to son Federico, and daughters Farah and Flaminia.

As a polyglot, the tennis icon speaks Italian, English, Spanish and French. Beyond his tennis career path, he is a fan of football clubs Inter Milan and Genoa CFC. Moreover, the trailblazer shared a sneak peak into his life, penning an autobiography titled “Warning: La mia vita tra le righe” in September 2020.

Despite his “love-hate relationship with” it, the former No 9 player extended his entertainment streak to the dance floor by participating in Ballando con le Stelle, Italy’s version of Dancing With the Stars, last year.

“I have always had a love-hate relationship with dance. In fact, I’ve never really danced in my life, and those few times I’ve been taken to the dance floor I’ve always felt a bit awkward… a ‘tree trunk,’ as we say in Italy,” he said at the time. “But instead, when this opportunity presented itself, I immediately accepted and jumped in. It was a completely new experience for me and I have to admit that I had a great time.”

In late 2024, Fognini concluded his season on a high by clinching an ATP Challenger Tour title in Montemar, Spain. However, the same good vibes did not carry forward to the new year as he had to make a last-minute withdrawal from the Australian Open in January 2025. The beloved player has long struggled with such painful troubles. He even underwent an arthroscopic surgery on both ankles in May 2020.