Spanish tennis star Carlos Alcaraz entered Wimbledon as a favorite but didn’t look it in his first-round match on Monday.
Unseeded Fabio Fognini tested No. 2 seed Alcaraz in their match on Centre Court in London. Alcaraz beat the 38-year-old Italian 7-5, 6-7(7), 7-5, 2-6, 6-1 in four hours and 37 minutes. Alcaraz will play Briton Oliver Tarvet in the second round on Wednesday.
Fognini was playing at Wimbledon for the final time, which may have powered his surprising performance.
“I don’t know why it’s his last Wimbledon because the level he has shown he can play three or four more years,” Alcaraz said in his on-court interview after the match. “I have to give him credit for such a great match. Fabio is such a great player, he has shown in his whole career the level he has. I’m just a little bit sad that’s it’s his last Wimbledon, but I’m happy to have shared the court with him.”
Perhaps the heat also contributed to Alcaraz’s early struggles. Citing the United Kingdom’s Met Office, CNN’s Ben Church and George Ramsay reported temperatures reached a high of 93 degrees Fahrenheit, making it the hottest opening day in the tournament’s 147-year history.
During Alcaraz and Fognini’s match, a fan collapsed from heat stress. The 22-year-old Spaniard then handed the medical team a bottle of cold water to aid the fan.
Although the weather conditions likely played a factor, it’s still surprising Fognini, who hasn’t succeeded much in Grand Slams, pushed Alcaraz.
Fognini has never reached the third round at the grass-court tournament or the quarterfinals at a major tournament since the 2011 French Open.
Alcaraz has won 19 consecutive matches, the longest streak of his career, which is one reason he’s still the favorite. As of Monday, FanDuel Sportsbook gives him +125 odds to win the tournament.
However, the streak could end if the reigning Wimbledon men’s singles champion doesn’t find his rhythm soon.
