LONDON: Carlos Alcaraz avoided a huge upset at Wimbledon by coming through a marathon five-set battle against Tour veteran Fabio Fognini.
The two-time reigning champion battled on the court for more than four-and-a-half hours before ousting Fognini 7-5, 6-7(5), 7-5, 2-6, 6-1, in a thrilling encounter. On paper Alcaraz was expected to breeze through against a player who hadn’t won a Tour-level match in 2025. However, an inspired Fognini turned back the years with a spirited performance that drew big support from the British crowd.
“Playing the first match of a tournament is never easy,” said Alcaraz.
“I’ve been practicing and playing on grass really well but at Wimbledon it is special, it is different.
“I could feel the difference between Wimbledon and other tournaments.
“I tried to play my best that I could but I can be better. I have to improve for the next round.
“In general, it was a great match.”
Alcaraz’s marathon battle was only the third time in the Open Era that a defending men’s champion at Wimbledon had been taken the full distance in his opening match. The other two were Roger Federer in 2010 and Bjorn Borg in 1978.
Against Fognini, Alcaraz was at times far from his best with the Spaniard hitting 62 unforced errors alongside 52 winners. The 22-year-old has now won 14 out of 15 best-of-five matches played so far in his career.
As for Fognini, he exits Wimbledon having played one of his most memorable matches at the tournament. The Italian, who has been ranked as high as ninth in the world, previously confirmed this season would be his last on the Tour. The 38-year-old was playing in his 133rd Grand Slam match against Alcaraz, who is 16 years younger than him. He has never gone beyond the third round at Wimbledon and has a somewhat mixed relationship with the tournament, once saying he wished a bomb would explode over the club which he later apologised for. It was somewhat ironic that his last singles match at the event would be on Center Court blockbuster against the two-time defending champion.
“To be honest I don’t know that this is his last Wimbledon because of the level he has shown, he can play three or four more years,” Alcaraz commented on Fognini.
“I have to give him credit for a great match. Fabio is a great player. The level and talent he has has shown, I am sad that this is his last Wimbledon. I’m happy to have shared the court with him.”
World No.2 Alcaraz will next take on British qualifier Oliver Tarvet who studies at the University of San Diego and has developed his game in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) system. Under the system, he is allowed to only keep £10,000 in profit made on the Tour each year.
“I saw his name when he qualified for the first time. I think he’s playing in college right now and is playing tennis on grass. If he is in the second round he is at a great level. I have to focus on that and try to play my best tennis,” he said of the Brit.
“Tomorrow I will try to improve things that didn’t work well.”
Tarvet, 21, claimed his first grand Slam main draw win by beating Switzerland’s Leandro Riedi 6-4, 6-4, 6-4.
