Carlos Alcaraz may have walked away with the win, but it was Fabio Fognini who stole the spotlight at Wimbledon. In a match that felt more like a farewell performance than a first-round battle, the 38-year-old Italian poured every last drop of magic, mischief, and muscle into a five-set thriller against the defending champion. Centre Court rose to its feet, but not just for Alcaraz. They were applauding a man who, knowingly or not, may have just written the final chapter of his storied career.
According to tennis journalist Olly Tennis on X, “Fabio Fognini has scheduled a press conference at Wimbledon for 1:30pm today, where he is expected to announce his immediate retirement. He was already due to retire at the end of 2025, but thought that the Alcaraz 5-setter was the best way to leave the sport.” So, yes, originally planning to retire at the end of 2025, Fognini now appears ready to call time early, feeling that pushing Alcaraz to the edge on tennis’s most hallowed ground was the perfect way to exit the stage. Do you remember that match?
Well, back on 30th June, Carlos Alcaraz faced a test on Centre Court, surviving a grueling 4 ½-hour duel against the 38‑year‑old Fognini. The Spaniard ultimately prevailed 7‑5, 6‑7(5), 7‑5, 2‑6, 6‑1, extending his impressive fifth‑set record to 14–1. It was the hottest day in Wimbledon history (31.4 °C), and play was even paused when a spectator fainted, prompting Alcaraz to set aside tennis and help with water.
Fabio Fognini has scheduled a press conference at Wimbledon for 1:30pm today, where he is expected to announce his immediate retirement
He was already due to retire at the end of 2025, but thought that the Alcaraz 5-setter was the best way to leave the sport
AFP pic.twitter.com/l0xjVlMNqB
— Olly Tennis (@Olly_Tennis_) July 9, 2025
From start to finish, it was a rollercoaster: Fognini, ranked 138th and riding a 10-match losing streak, chalked up 21 break-point opportunities and hit 53 winners more than Alcaraz, revealing flashes of his prime. He later admitted in tears, “I cried in the locker room… I didn’t expect to play five sets,” emphasizing just how much this match meant.
Despite the near-outage from a heart‑stopping rally, Alcaraz dug deep. He fended off those break points, hit crucial winners, and regained control in the fifth set, winning the first five games to seal it. He confessed, “I don’t know why it’s his last Wimbledon… because the level he’s shown, he can still play three or four more years.”
With a career that’s been as unpredictable as it was dazzling, Fognini walks away as a nine-time ATP singles champion, former world No. 9, and Grand Slam doubles winner.
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