Fabio Fognini announced on Wednesday that this will be his final appearance at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia. The 37-year-old Italian will play in front of the home crowd in Rome potentially for last time on Thursday against Jake Fearnley.
“Since I was a kid I was coming here to say, ‘Oh let’s see, let’s hope to play one day’ and now I’m in the opposite [time of my career],” Fognini said in an interview with Tennis Channel. “I think it’s a good time to say goodbye in this beautiful city, special city. But yes, I’m here with a smile on my face because I know that I had a really difficult time during my 15, I don’t know, 16, 20 years in Rome and I would like to enjoy the last lap.”
Rome was not one of Fognini’s better events. He reached the quarterfinals just once (2018), defeating Gael Monfils and Dominic Thiem before falling to Rafael Nadal. He also beat Andy Murray during second-round action in 2017.
“I play with passion, and sometimes too much,” Fognini reflected. “But I think when I was playing my best tennis here, I think the crowd was really happy to see me beating Andy. I beat Gael, I beat Tsonga, I beat a lot of good players. Of course the dream since I was a kid was winning here. But if I have to be honest, I have now and have in the future also the opportunity to say to [my kids] that I was able to play against Roger, against Rafa, against Andy, against Novak, and this part of my career was really special.”
The current world No. 107 has not won a main-draw match at the ATP level in 2025. If that drought finally ends on Thursday, Fognini would face fellow Italian Matteo Berrettini in round two on Saturday.
the end is near
He gave Andy his greatest lesson on clay.
Closest thing to a modern-day Nastase, minus, of course, two Slams (& six doubles Slams)
I remember him telling the umpire to go to the WTF. Much to Kohkschreibers amusement