Carlos Alcaraz had a classy gesture after beating Fabio Fognini on Monday.
Alcaraz defeated Fognini 7-5, 6-7 (5), 7-5, 2-6, 6-1 in match that lasted over four and a half hours in the heat in the first round of Wimbledon at Centre Court at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in London, England. Fognini plans to retire after the season, so this is expected to have been his last time playing at Wimbledon.
Upon winning the match, Alcaraz led an applause to pay respect to Fognini.
A touch of class from Carlos Alcaraz, who leads the applause for Fabio Fognini 👏#Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/ZiRn7ya2aJ
— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) June 30, 2025
“I have to give him the credit of a great match. He’s a great player … I’m just sad it’s his last Wimbledon, but just happy to have shared the court many times with him,” Alcaraz said in his post-match interview.
Fognini has never made it past the third round at Wimbledon during his career, making it the major where he’s had the least success. The 38-year-old is currently ranked No. 130 in the world, but has been ranked as high as No. 9 during the peak of his career.
As for Alcaraz, he received a favorable draw at Wimbledon. Many of the tougher players, including Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic, are in the other half of the draw. The highest-seeded player in Alcaraz’s half is Alexander Zverev, whose weakest surface is grass.
