Fognini: "There is no better way to say goodbye to Wimbledon... or even to tennis"
The Italian acknowledges that he ended up crying in the locker room after pushing Alcaraz to a fifth set. "I didn't expect it," he admitted.
Fabio Fognini has given us quite a gift in what was his last match at Wimbledon. It's not his favorite surface, but that didn't stop him from giving us a match to remember proudly in the future. He took a two-time Wimbledon champion like Carlos Alcaraz to a fifth set, putting on a show at 38 years old, once again proving that age is just a number.
Because Fabio is a true showman. When almost no one believed in him, maybe not even himself, he started building momentum against a Carlitos who was feeling the intense heat and the challenge posed by the Italian. There's no better way to bid farewell to a place like Wimbledon. Fognini said goodbye to the All England Tennis Club in style.
Intense Battle
It's hard to put it into words, believe me. This is the best way to say goodbye to Wimbledon. And perhaps to tennis as well. I am happy, but many emotions flood my mind. I couldn't have asked for a better farewell from here. Now I have a bittersweet feeling because I had my opportunities. I'm still in the early stages of the fifth set, but he is a great champion. He has won here twice and is currently the best player in the world.
Comparison of Facing the Big 3 and Alcaraz
Looking back at my career, if I have to say one word, it's happiness. My on-court demeanor was so-and-so, but that's part of the game. I have played this sport with passion. Everyone knows that. I've had the luck and misfortune of playing against the Big 3 for 15 years. Now, I've had the chance to face Carlos twice and Jannik once. Right now, it's hard for me to articulate due to all the emotions. Maybe I will in a few days.
About the Match
If we analyze the match, I don't think I deserved to lose the first set. Then, I was a break down and won the second. He took the third set, but I went up 2-1 in the fourth. That could be considered the worst game, when I was ahead on my serve. After that, I won the fourth decisively. The start of the fifth was awful. I didn't deserve that result, being 4-0 down, considering I was 40-15 up in the second game. I was 15-40 and lost the game. I was 40-15 and lost the other game. I didn't deserve the 4-0. At least 2-2, but I'm playing against Alcaraz, not against a friend or Federico.
Final Applause
It was very emotional. I cried in the locker room. I cried. I didn't expect to play five sets against Alcaraz, I must be honest. I had no expectations today, considering how I arrived at this match, with all I've been through this year, with the injury. I had been playing very poorly and hadn't won many matches. As I said before, there's no better way to play on this court against a great champion whom I deeply respect because I know him very well.
This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Fognini: "No hay mejor manera de decir adiós a Wimbledon... o incluso al tenis"