The draw matched Alcaraz against Fognini, a former top-10 player in what is likely his swan song season. Despite being 38, Fognini demonstrated his signature technical prowess and elicited admiration from the crowd with his sheer class, elegance, and competitive spirit.

Fognini’s persistence pushed Alcaraz into a challenging five-setter. The defending champion ultimately triumphed over the Italian, securing a 7-5, 6-7, 7-5, 2-6, 6-1 victory after more than four and a half grueling hours on court.

This exhausting opening round at such a demanding event highlights the Italian’s exceptional play. Alcaraz himself, speaking to his coach Juan Carlos Ferrero, marveled at Fognini’s enduring level of performance, joking, “He’ll be playing like this at 50.”

McEnroe’s take on Fognini’s future

When McEnroe, a three-time Wimbledon champion, speaks, the tennis world listens. Following the match, McEnroe opined through the BBC that it was the ideal time for Fognini to bow out, labeling it “the perfect ending.”

“Fortunately for Alcaraz, by the fourth set, the crowd realized just how extraordinary Fognini was playing,” McEnroe remarked. “At times, Fognini appeared fresher than Alcaraz, despite their 16-year age gap! What’s going on here?”

McEnroe also revealed a conversation with Fognini’s wife, 2015 US Open champion Flavia Pennetta, who agreed it might be time for her husband to spend more time with family. Both understand the tour’s relentless demands, a sentiment echoed by Fognini’s announcement that this would be his final season.

The Italian has already received standing ovations, including at his last match at the Masters 1000 in Rome, and earned similar recognition at Wimbledon, with Alcaraz joining in the applause, acknowledging Fognini’s stellar performance.

Alcaraz’s praise for Fognini

Post-match, the Spaniard star offered high praise for his opponent, “When you see your adversary playing like Fabio did, especially in the fourth set, there are moments where you run out of answers. Fabio played brilliant tennis. I expressed my deep respect for him after the match, admiring his career achievements and today’s performance. It’s always a pleasure to share the court with him.”

Facing Fognini proved to be a formidable task for Alcaraz. The match was closely contested, and as the third set concluded, the Spaniard appeared poised to clinch victory. Yet, Fognini, playing in what could be his final Wimbledon appearance, rallied impressively.

Post-match, Alcaraz acknowledged Fognini’s tenacity, suggesting the Italian might have more to offer in the coming years, especially after he forced a decisive fifth set. As Alcaraz secured the third set, the crowd anticipated a straightforward win. However, Fognini defied expectations with a 6-2 triumph in the fourth set, extending the contest.

By needing five sets to advance, Alcaraz joined an elite, albeit unwanted, category at Wimbledon. He became just the third player, following Federer and Borg, to play a five-set match in the opening round after having won the championship the previous year, as noted by OptaAce.

Alcaraz breaks new ground with impressive grass court stat

Alcaraz continues to make waves in the tennis world. After matching the unwanted stat from Federer and Borg, with his latest victory on the grass courts of Wimbledon, the young Spaniard stands out as the quickest player to secure 30 wins on grass in the Open Era, achieving this feat in fewer matches than any before.

“Carlos Alcaraz (33 matches, 30-3) has become the fastest player to reach 30 ATP-level match wins on grass in the Open Era, surpassing Rod Laver and Tony Roche (34 matches each). Sensational,“ tweeted OptaAce, highlighting Alcaraz’s remarkable accomplishment.

Fognini bids farewell to Wimbledon

Fognini played his final match at Wimbledon following an early exit from the tournament. The 38-year-old Italian is set to retire from the ATP circuit this year, hoping to conclude his career with memorable performances.

Despite Alcaraz ultimately prevailing, Fognini demonstrated his enduring skill by pushing the younger player to a five-set battle. Though Alcaraz’s youthful vigor eventually overwhelmed Fognini’s seasoned expertise, the match underscored Fognini’s potential to continue competing at a high level.

However, Fognini’s court of choice is clay. That’s where he won the Monte-Carlo Masters in 2019, which is at the moment his best achievement so far in his career. Also, he has won 8 ATP titles too, and his highest-ranked place was No.9, just three years ago. Now, he is currently No.60 overall.

Also, he’s got a men’s doubles Grand Slam title. It was alongside Italian partner Simone Bolelli at the Austrialian Open in 2015. However, this is just a tiny bit of his profile, check out the full information below.

How old is Fabio Fognini?

Fabio Fognini was born onMay 24, 1987 inArma di Taggia, Italy. So, Fognini is currently 35 years old. According to astrologers, Fabio Fognini’s zodiac sign is Gemini. Also, he made his ATP main draw debut in 2004. Then, he finished in Top 100 for first time at No. 94 with a combination of successful ATPresults in 2007.

How tall is Fabio Fognini?

The 35-year old Italian tennis player isn’t physically gifted. As a 5-foot-10 player, Fognini’s strengths are nowhere near a fast pace, but he is a great first-server. However, his height has gave him problems against taller tennis players.

How much is Fabio Fognini’s net worth?

According to the ATP Tour’swebsite, Fognini has earned a total of $17,277,515 in prize money through his single and double tennis career. Therefore, Fognini’s current net worth is around $17 and $20million dollars in total. This due to undisclosed endorsment deals he has made with several sports brands

Who is Fabio Fognini’s wife?

The 40-year-old former Italian tennis playerFlavia Pennetta is Fabio Fognini’s wife. She is older than him, and she became Italy’s first top-ten female singles player,and the first Italian to be ranked world No. 1 in doubles. After the 2015 US Open, Pennetta retired from tennis.

Fabio Fognini’s social media

Fabio Fognini owns a Facebook page, Twitter, and Instagram accounts. Their favorite ones to post are Twitter and Instagram, where he has 122k and 616k followers, respectively. You can follow him @fabiofogna on both of them.