Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz faced a tough challenge in his opening match at Wimbledon, battling through a grueling five-set thriller against Italy’s Fabio Fognini on Monday. The 22-year-old Spaniard ultimately secured his place in the second round with a 7-5, 6-7(5), 7-5, 2-6, 6-1 victory after four hours and 37 minutes on court.
Under the scorching sun, Alcaraz struggled with his serve, while the experienced Fognini, 38, showcased remarkable resilience and deft net skills in what was his final appearance at the All England Club. Despite being pushed to a deciding set, Alcaraz extended his winning streak to 19 matches.
“I knew at the beginning that it was going to be really difficult playing against Fabio,” said Alcaraz, who defended his French Open title last month at Roland Garros. “The talent that Fabio has is immense. In every match he can show his best tennis. I think today he has shown some of his best tennis.”
Alcaraz will face British wildcard Oliver Tarvet in the second round.
Elsewhere, there were early upsets as eighth seed Holger Rune of Denmark and Russian ninth seed Daniil Medvedev both exited the tournament. Rune fell to Chile’s Nicolas Jarry 4-6, 4-6, 7-5, 6-3, 6-4, while Medvedev was defeated by France’s Benjamin Bonzi 7-6(2), 3-6, 7-6(3), 6-2.
The opening day also featured late drama, with Taylor Fritz’s match suspended due to the evening curfew. The fifth-seeded American had rallied from two sets down to level the match against France’s Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard before play was halted, disappointing spectators who had hoped to witness the conclusion.
