Italian tennis player Fabio Fognini has announced his retirement from professional tennis.
He announced that decision today at Wimbledon, where he lost in the first round to Carlos Alcaraz on Centre Court.
Fognini (38) then put up fierce resistance from the champion and lost in five sets.
"This is the best way to say goodbye," the Italian said.
Wimbledon was his 63rd appearance at a Grand Slam.
His greatest success came in 2011 at Roland Garros, when he reached the quarterfinals, but lost the match to Novak Djokovic without playing due to a thigh muscle injury.
Fonjini was often in the spotlight due to his controversial behavior.
A number of incidents have been recorded that have resulted in fines, including $27.500 in 2014, as well as a suspended two-year suspension in 2017 for insulting the head umpire at the US Open.
At Wimbledon in 2019, he was fined $3.000 for saying he "wanted a bomb to explode in the club."
During his career, he won nine ATP singles titles, with his greatest triumph coming in Monte Carlo in 2019.
That year he made history as the first Italian in the Top 10 since 1979, reaching 9th place in the world.
He finished his career ranked 138th on the ATP list.
Fonjini is the husband of former US Open champion Flavia Pennetta, with whom he has three children.
After the last match, Fabio asked Alcaraz for a signed jersey as a keepsake for his oldest child.
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