Fabio Fognini announces his retirement at Wimbledon after a first-round loss to Carlos Alcaraz
The 38-year-old Italian pushed two-time defending champion Alcaraz for more than 4 1/2 hours before coming out on the wrong end of the 7-5, 6-7 (5), 7-5, 2-6, 6-1 score in the fortnight's first match at Centre Court.
That extended Fognini's losing streak to 10 consecutive tour-level matches, including an 0-7 record in 2025. He previously had said he would finish his career at the end of this season, but held a news conference at the All England Club on Wednesday to say he won't compete again.
'It's hard to say what I will do now. I want to enjoy the summer with my family. That's what I want more than anything right now. And then, what happens, happens,' Fognini said. 'I'm happy. I lived some indescribable moments. Tennis gave me a lot. It gave me everything.'
Fognini is the husband of 2015 U.S. Open champion Flavia Pennetta. She famously won that title at age 33, by beating childhood friend Roberta Vinci, then surprised everyone watching by saying on court that her retirement would happen later that year.
After the match against Alcaraz, Fognini asked for one of the Spaniard's shirts as a gift for the oldest of his and Pennetta's three children. When he got to the locker room afterward, Fognini said, he got a standing ovation from other players.
'There are things that mean more than a victory or a defeat,' he said. 'And (exiting) at that court, in front of my family, is worth more than any title.'
A self-described hothead, Fognini was well-known for some outlandish on-court behavior that repeatedly resulted in fines.
He was docked $3,000 at Wimbledon in 2019 for saying during a match that he wished 'a bomb would explode at the club' and a then-record $27,500 in 2014 for a series of outbursts. He was put on a two-year probation by the Grand Slam Board in 2017 after insulting a female chair umpire at the U.S. Open and getting kicked out of that tournament's doubles event.
During the Italian-language portion of Wednesday's news conference, Fognini told reporters from his country he wished he hadn't clashed with them so often over the years.
This was the 63rd Grand Slam event for Fognini, whose best result was getting to the quarterfinals at the 2011 French Open, although he didn't play in that round there because of an injured thigh, allowing his opponent, Novak Djokovic, to advance.
Fognini leaves the sport with nine tour singles titles, the last at Monte Carlo in 2019. Later that year, he reached No. 9 in the ATP rankings, the first man from Italy in the top 10 since 1979. In doubles, Fognini also got to No. 7 and won eight titles.
He was ranked 138th in singles before Wimbledon.
'I did this job for 20 years,' Fognini said, 'and I don't know how to do anything else.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Miami Herald
an hour ago
- Miami Herald
Over 1 million join Pope Leo XIV for World Youth Jubilee Mass in Rome
ROME - Young people from 146 countries celebrated with Pope Leo XIV at the concluding Mass of the World Youth Jubilee at Rome's University of Tor Vergata on Sunday. The Vatican put the number of youths attending the event at more than a million, based on official estimates. Leo arrived by popemobile to cheers and applause. He urged the celebrants "to adventure with the Lord toward eternity" saying that the Lord was "gently knocked" at the window of their souls. "Aspire to great things, to holiness, wherever you are. Do not settle for less. You will then see the light of the Gospel growing every day, in you and around you," he said. The youth gathering is seen as the central event in the Jubilee Year, with the high point on Sunday on the Tor Vergata sports fields in the southeast of the Italian capital. The event was held there in 2000 as well, when John Paul II was pope. The event was the largest to date during the papacy of the first pope from the United States. At 69, Leo is considerably younger than many of his predecessors. He is seen as approachable and keen on sport, granting one of his first audiences to tennis player Jannik Sinner. During the evening vigil on Saturday, Leo answered three questions from young people, showing fluency in Spanish, Italian and English to talk about friendship in the age of social media. He spoke of the fear of taking decisions and the quest to make sense of the world. Many of the young people spent the night outdoors after the event that included music and prayers. _____ Copyright (C) 2025, Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Portions copyrighted by the respective providers.
Newsweek
an hour ago
- Newsweek
How to Watch Indiana Fever vs Seattle Storm: Live Stream WNBA, TV Channel
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The current No. 5 and No. 6 seeds in the WNBA playoff race meet Sunday in Seattle as the Indiana Fever face the Seattle Storm. Indiana is ahead in the standings, but with both teams sitting at 16-12, this game will determine which one leaves with an advantage. Sophie Cunningham #8 of the Indiana Fever controls the ball during the game against the Seattle Storm at Climate Pledge Arena on June 24, 2025 in Seattle, Washington. The Indiana Fever won 94-86. Sophie Cunningham #8 of the Indiana Fever controls the ball during the game against the Seattle Storm at Climate Pledge Arena on June 24, 2025 in Seattle, Washington. The Indiana Fever won 94-86. Photo byHow to Watch Indiana Fever at Seattle Storm Date: Sunday, Aug. 3, 2025 Time: 3:00 PM EDT Channel: ABC, ESPN Deportes Stream: Fubo (Watch now!) The Fever have won four in a row, the best current win streak in the WNBA. Caitlin Clark, being sidelined by injury, has barely been a blip on the radar for the team as Kelsey Mitchell has stepped up. Midseason acquisition Aari McDonald has been a revelation at point guard, setting the Fever up to potentially be a title contender if Clark can come back near 100 percent. The Storm are 5-5 over their past 10 games. While the starting lineup is among the league's best with Skylar Diggins, Nneka Ogwumike, Ezi Magbegor, Gabby Williams, and Erica Wheeler, depth concerns have really hurt the team. In Friday's 108-106 double-overtime loss to the Sparks, only one starter played fewer than 39 minutes. Fans can watch the English-language broadcast for this game on ABC and the Spanish-language broadcast on ESPN Deportes. You can watch the WNBA all season long on Fubo, where you can watch all nationally televised games on ABC, ESPN, CBS, CBS Sports Network, ION, and NBA TV. Do not miss out on catching the stars of the game all summer, including A'ja Wilson, Caitlin Clark, and Paige Bueckers. Live stream the Indiana Fever at Seattle Storm game on Fubo: Start watching now! Regional restrictions may apply. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation.
USA Today
2 hours ago
- USA Today
Paula Martin Sampedro fires Sunday 68 to win low amateur honors at Women's British Open
Stanford's Paula Martin Sampedro put an exclamation point on her week in Wales with a back-nine 30 that included five consecutive birdies. The Spaniard, who played alongside two-time Smyth Salver winner Lydia Ko, closed with a 4-under 68 to zoom up the board and currently holds a share of eighth at 4 under. Her 30 on the inward nine is the lowest of the week by two strokes. "Honestly, even in the front nine the couple the bogeys she made, she got some really nasty lip-outs," said Ko. "At that point if a couple of those dropped it would've been an unbelievable round. Was still an unbelievable round, and it was fun to play alongside her today." Martin Sampedro wraps up the coveted Smyth Salver for low amateur honors as Carla Bernat struggled with a 78 on Sunday to finish at 9 over for the championship, while Jeneath Wong shot 82 to finish at 17 over. Martin Sampedro becomes the fourth Spanish player to win the award, joining Marta Figueras-Dotti (1982), Elisa Serramia (2003) and Luna Sobron (2015). Her coach and caddie for the week, Alejandro Larrazabal, won the British Amateur at Royal Porthcawl in 2002. "My first three, four holes were really rough," said Martin Sampedro. "There was no way I was getting two on 1, it's a par 4. Then the first four holes, with perfect conditions are already so hard, so I knew it was going to be a tough beginning. "And then just managed to keep calm and just hole a couple putts, and then I started to see the lines better ... it was definitely a good birdie stretch on the back nine." The list of recent Smyth Salver winners is packed with stars. The award, given to the low amateur at the AIG Women's British Open, has served as a strong indicator of future success, with names like Danielle Kang, Georgia Hall, Leona Maguire, Jeeno Thitikul, Ko, and most recently, Lottie Woad, receiving the honor. It's been a massive summer for Martin Sampedro, who won both the British Women's Amateur and European Ladies' Amateur Championship in Germany. The British Amateur victory exempts her into next year's championship. Martin Sampedro currently ranks third in the World Amateur Golf Ranking. Keep tabs on all the action from the final round of the 2025 AIG Women's British Open with our live updates page.
