Italian tennis player Fabio Fognini announced his retirement from tennis, one week after his final match, a first round exit against Carlos Alcaraz on Wimbledon, that will nevertheless be remembered as one of his finest matches, pushing the current Wimbledon and Roland Garros champion to his limits in a five-set thriller on June 30.
"Today is something official. I say goodbye to everybody", Fognini said during a press conference in London. "It was the perfect way to say goodbye to this sport. I was able to play in an era that probably is going to be the best era forever in the sport".
"I played against Roger, against Rafa, against Nole. Winning a Slam for me was impossible. I have to be honest", said the Italian, who once reached World No. 9 in 2019. He added that his dream of retiring at next year's Monte-Carlo Masters 1000 is impossible.
Fognini won 2019 Monte-Carlo Masters, his greatest success, defeating Dušan Lajović in the final, and Zverev and Nadal in the previous rounds. His best result at a Grand Slam was Roland Garros quarter-finals in 2011. He won 9 ATP titles and is 36th at the all-time earnings, with a prize money of $ 18.9m.