Carlos Alcaraz is the two-time defending Wimbledon champion. Fabio Fognini is a respectable 38-year old professional who is, well, not that.
On Monday at Wimbledon, though, Fognini gave Alcaraz everything he could handle.
They battled back and forth.
Alcaraz took the first set, 7-5.
Then it was Fognini in a second-set tiebreaker, 7-6(5).
Alcaraz came back to take the third set of the best-of-five, 7-5.
Fognini controlled the fourth set, though, 6-2.
Alcaraz finally dominated the fifth set, 6-1.
It was four hours and 37 minutes on the hot grass in the first round for Alcaraz, not ideal.
But he recognized the fight his opponent had put up. They had a lengthy embrace and conversation after Fognini put the final point of the match into the net.
What. A. Match. 🤩
Carlos Alcaraz wins an epic duel in the sun against Fabio Fognini, 7-5, 6-7(5), 7-5, 2-6, 6-1#Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/JF9prwRk1q
— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) June 30, 2025
Alcaraz had played a longer match at the French Open, but that was in the final against world No. 1 Jannik Sinner.
This wasn’t meant to be that way. Alcaraz was supposed to take care of business quickly in the opening round and get out of the sun.
But that’s why we love sports. The script isn’t written ahead of time. Drama and magic can grab our heartstrings.
And for a while there, Fognini looked like he might do the unthinkable.
Alcaraz only fully discovered his form in the fifth and final set, and maybe that’s a concerning sign.
But on this first-round day on the grass, it was just quite the sight to watch two tennis players at totally different stages of their career do battle until the very end.
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