Carlos Alcaraz began his Wimbledon title defense with a dramatic and exhausting five-set victory over Italy’s Fabio Fognini on Centre Court. The match, which lasted four hours and thirty-seven minutes, tested the Spaniard’s endurance and focus as he eventually prevailed 7-5, 6-7(5), 7-5, 2-6, 6-1.
After the match, Alcaraz admitted it wasn’t his sharpest performance but expressed relief and gratitude for pulling through. “Fabio played unbelievable tennis. I had to fight for every point, and I’m just happy to be through.”
The 22-year-old, aiming for his third consecutive Wimbledon crown, acknowledged the physical and mental toll of the encounter. He struggled with rhythm early on and appeared visibly drained during the middle sets, frequently reaching for iced towels to combat the sweltering heat. Despite the challenges, he found his groove in the final set, breaking Fognini early and riding the momentum to close out the match.
Alcaraz also praised the crowd for their energy and support, noting how their encouragement helped him dig deep when the match seemed to be slipping away. “The fans gave me that extra push,” he said with a smile. “It’s always special to play on this court.”
With this hard-fought win, Alcaraz extends his Grand Slam first-round winning streak and sets up a second-round clash with British qualifier Oliver Tarvet. As he looks ahead, the defending champion knows he’ll need to raise his level—but for now, he’s savoring the escape.
Alcaraz in Wimbledon, ranking, and results in 2025
Ranked world no.2, Carlos achieved an overall 42-5 match record in 2025. Alcaraz is playing at the moment in Wimbledon where he conquered the world no.138 Fabio Fognini 7-5 6-7(5) 7-5 2-6 6-1.
Carlos Alcaraz will square off with the world no.733 Oliver Tarvet in the 2nd round. They have never played each other till now in top competitions.
Carlos has won 5 titles in 2025 in Rotterdam, Monte-Carlo, Rome, French Open and London. The Spaniard was the runner-up in Barcelona (Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell).
Alcaraz won 22 titles in his career: 5 on hard courts, 11 on clay courts, 2 on indoor courts and 4 on grass courts. (See the list of his titles)
Fabio Fognini in 2025
Now the world no.138, the Italian played his last match on the 1st of January 1970 when he lost to world no.2 Carlos Alcaraz 7-5 6-7(5) 7-5 2-6 6-1 in the 1st round in Wimbledon (draw).
Presently, during this year Fognini has an overall 4-14 win-loss record.
Carlos Alcaraz and Fabio Fognini squared off just 2 times. Their actual head to head record is 2-0 for Alcaraz.