Watch: When Carlos Alcaraz showed true sportsmanship for soon-to-retire Fabio Fognini at Wimbledon 2025

(Courtesy : Getty Images)
Carlos Alcaraz won both on and off the court, after his tight win in the opening round.
On court and off-it, five-time Grand Slam champion, Carlos Alcaraz, has often earned plaudits for his class against both his opponents and with his fans. Alcaraz, 22, arrived at Wimbledon 2025 eyeing a third consecutive title win and another piece of history. The Spaniard has already advanced to the third round and is well on course to successfully retaining his title.
However, Alcaraz has looked far from being in perfect form despite having arrived at the grass court major on the back of a hat-trick of title runs, two of them coming on clay. He also reached the final at Barcelona Open, losing against Holger Rune, before withdrawing from Madrid Masters with injury.
Alcaraz then returned to lift the title at Italian Open, French Open and Queen’s Club Championships before arriving at the All-England London Club. He has also won the Rotterdam Open and Monte-Carlo Masters titles this season.
While he has been winning titles on court, Alcaraz has also been winning hearts off it. And at Wimbledon 2025 it’s no different.
The two-time defending champion kicked off his campaign with a five-set win, which very few saw coming. Against the 38-year-old Fabio Fognini, who is at last legs of his career, and set to retire anytime now, the Spaniard was expected to get the job done in straight sets.
After prevailing in a closely fought first set, Alcaraz had an ordinary hour or so, with his trademark forehand winners turning into unforced errors, and the Spaniard simply could not find his serves. The frustration grew deeper, as he muttered, ““I can’t serve and I can’t return. Shameful.”
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The Italian forced a decider, but the final set was all Alcaraz, however Fognini’s ability to force a fifth set against the five-time champion is an achievement in itself for the World No. 138.
Fognini’s son, Federico, is a huge Alcaraz fan. After the match, the Italian star embraced his role as a proud father and made a special request to the Spaniard on behalf of his son. “Give me your t-shirt Charly,” said Fognini after having embraced Alcaraz at the net, using his nickname. “Can I have your t-shirt for Federico?”
Before the match, Fognini shared that he playfully teased his son, telling him he wouldn’t let him meet Alcaraz so that Federico would cheer for his dad instead, a move that only left the young fan more frustrated.
In the end, though, Federico surely felt proud watching his father deliver such an incredible performance on Centre Court. And as the perfect finishing touch, he got to take home Alcaraz’s T-shirt as a special gift.
Also Read: Nick Kyrgios predicts winner of Wimbledon 2025
Fognini’s final match at Wimbledon is one he won’t forget anytime soon, and it could even turn out to be the last match of his career. If that’s the case, it was a spectacular way to bid farewell to the sport. Alcaraz did his part to honor the moment too, once again showing his class and sportsmanship.
Carlos Alcaraz will next face Jan-lennard Struff of Germany in the third round. While Wimbledon 2025 continues to be somewhat of a graveyard for seeded players—Alcaraz himself survived a scare in the opening round and had to comeback from a set behind to win against Fognin—it will look to the Spaniard, who will have to beat less competition to defend his title.
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Aniruddh Seshadri Iyer is a passionate sports journalist at Khel Now, specializing in tennis and Olympic sports. An engineer by training, he found his storytelling passion through iconic Grand Slam and Olympic moments. Known for sharp analysis and insightful coverage, he draws inspiration from Novak Djokovic’s resilience. Outside journalism, he enjoys reading, traveling, and playing the guitar.
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