Carlos Alcaraz may have walked away with the win, but it was Fabio Fognini who stole the spotlight at Wimbledon. Playing what was more of a swansong than a first-round battle, the 38-year-old Italian managed to pour all the remaining magic, mischief, and muscle into a five-set masterpiece 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.

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, Carlos 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.” And now, as of July 9, it’s official—Fabio Fognini has retired, a moment confirmed by tennis insider José Morgado, closing the curtain on one of the sport’s most colorful careers.

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. But after pushing Carlos Alcaraz to five epic sets at Wimbledon, Fognini surprised everyone, not with a farewell speech, but with a deeply personal request. 

Carlos Alcaraz turns Wimbledon clash into a moment for the ages

Carlos Alcaraz may have walked away with the win, but Fabio Fognini stole the emotional spotlight at Wimbledon. After their five-set thriller, Fognini had a special request, not for a rematch, but for a memento. His young son, Federico, is a huge Alcaraz fan, and Fognini asked if Carlos could spare his match shirt for him. A few days later, Alcaraz delivered in a truly champion fashion not only in terms of the court, but also outside of the court, by sending a signed shirt from their game to Fognini. The Italian proudly posted it on Instagram with an emotional shoutout to the 22-year-old whom he called classy and kind.

It was a lovely experience of generation respect. Fognini had recently dominated its defending Wimbledon winner in five sets. And despite the loss, he left with a much greater thing: pride, admiration, and a moment that brought fans to tears. Despite the firepower he displayed, Alcaraz reminded the rest of the tennis world, the kind of person he is off-court. However, this was not the first time that there was a major confrontation between these two at Wimbledon.

Back in 2022, in the semifinal of the Rio Open on clay, Carlos Alcaraz claimed a straight-sets win over Fabio Fognini, 6‑2, 7‑5. The next year, again in Rio 2023, things got tighter: he came from a set down to win 6–7(5), 6–2, 6–4 in the round of 16. This Wimbledon clash marked their third meeting, but the first on grass, and the first time their battle went the distance. Alcaraz now leads their head-to-head 3–0, but this match wasn’t about records. It was about heart, legacy, and a father’s gift to his son, made possible by the player who just might define the next era of tennis.