The Italian tennis player says he needs "a couple of days to think without hearing from anyone". Alcaraz compliments him: "Immense, always had great respect for him"
The perfect ending doesn’t exist, but Fabio Fognini is almost convinced that this defeat, after playing a sensational match against Carlos Alcaraz, one in which the 38-year-old took the world number 2 and two-time defending champion to a fifth set on Centre Court at Wimbledon, comes very close. “I’ll take a couple of days to think, to understand what I’ve done. Alone, without listening to anyone. And then I’ll decide,” he says of his future. He was already sure that this would be his last Wimbledon, his last match in a grass slam where he has never gone beyond the third round in his career. It could also turn out to be the last of his career.
greetings— “It’s tough, but this is probably the best way to say goodbye to Wimbledon, maybe even to tennis,” he says, his eyes becoming increasingly watery. “I still have a bitter taste in my mouth, because I had my opportunities in this match too. I looked in good shape, didn’t I? If you look at the match, I lost the first set without deserving it, then I was down a break and won the second. He won the third, but I was ahead 2-1 with the break and then I won the fourth well. Then the fifth set was a bit s... I didn’t deserve to be down 4-0, I deserved at least a 2-2. But I was against Carlitos, a champion who has won here twice, someone who I think is probably the best player in the world right now together with Jannik.” Fognini says he cried in the locker room, and also had a nice chat with Alcaraz, who later said that Fabio “pushed him to the limit, because there were moments when I didn’t know what to do on the court.” He talks about the phone call from his son Federico when the draw paired him with Carlitos, about that “I can come see you dad, you’re going to lose anyway” that he couldn’t say no to. And about his Wimbledon without expectations, because “at the beginning of the year I was playing really badly after the injury and I didn’t win too many matches”. His eyes become more and more lucid, Federico is there looking at him. “Now let’s go have a nice sushi dinner, then in a few days, maybe over a beer or a nice glass of wine, I’ll make a decision. He’s still proud of having shown at 38 years old everything he’s capable of, that “good dad” and the tears with his son Federico, the applause on Wimbledon’s Centre Court, the temple of tennis, and that sorry “ooh” from the crowd when the speaker reminded him that this was his last time here. And he still has to make that decision that seems already made.
applause—Alcaraz also added his compliments to Fabio: “I knew it would be difficult against Fabio,” he said, “it doesn’t matter that this is his last year, his last tournament, Fabio has immense talent and has shown that he can still play his best tennis. We talked in the locker room, I told him how much respect I have for him, for what he has done in his career and in this match. I have always enjoyed watching him play and I am happy to have shared the court with him once again. I have great respect for him.” So much so that he said on court that he thinks Fognini could play another 3-4 years at this level. Fabio seems to have other ideas.