London, July 9 : Fabio Fognini, the Italian tennis star, has announced his retirement from professional tennis following a five-set thriller against Carlos Alcaraz in the opening round of Wimbledon 2025.

The 38-year-old former top-10 player pushed the two-time defending champion for over four and a half hours before falling 7-5, 6-7(5), 7-5, 2-6, 6-1 in what turned out to be his final professional match.

"It's the best way to say goodbye," Fognini said during a press conference at the All England Club on Wednesday. Initially planning to retire at the end of the season, Fognini confirmed that the emotional and intense Centre Court battle had prompted him to hang up his racquet immediately.

Fabio Fognini's retirement at Wimbledon marks the end of a career that spanned 63 Grand Slam appearances. His best result came at the 2011 French Open, where he reached the quarterfinals but couldn't play the match due to a thigh injury, handing Novak Djokovic a walkover. Despite never reaching a Slam semifinal, Fognini remained a popular and fiery presence on tour, known for his shot-making flair and on-court passion.

He leaves the sport with nine ATP singles titles, highlighted by a memorable victory at the Monte Carlo Masters in 2019 ' the same year he became the first Italian man since 1979 to break into the ATP top 10.

Fognini's career, however, was as known for his fiery temperament as it was for his shot-making brilliance. He was involved in multiple on-court controversies, including being fined a then-record $27,500 in 2014 and placed on probation in 2017 for insulting a female umpire at the US Open.

Currently ranked 138th, Fognini said farewell to the sport in a touching gesture by asking Alcaraz for his match shirt ' a keepsake for the oldest of his three children with wife and 2015 US Open champion Flavia Pennetta.

/IANS