Carlos Alcaraz started Wimbledon 2025 title defence in a heart-stopping style with a thrilling win, narrowly defeating grizzled Fabio Fognini in a pulsating five-set thriller on Monday to reach the second round of the men's singles at the All England Club.
The No. 2 in the world and French Open champion overcame Fognini as well as sweltering temperatures in London, ultimately closing out a 7-5, 6-7(5), 7-5, 2-6, 6-1 victory in a four-hour, 37-minute marathon.
Alcaraz, enjoying an 18-match winning run — a career-best — showed steely determination and unrelenting aggression, particularly in a nail-biting third set and dominant fifth. The Spanish sensation's consistency in elevating his game in deciders was once again on show as he took his fifth-set record to an astonishing 14-1.
On the hottest Wimbledon opening day in history with the mercury rising to 31.4°C, the 22-year-old flashed brilliance but was tested to the limit by 38-year-old Fognini, the oldest man in the men's draw. After coming into the match on a tour-level 10-match losing streak, the Italian played with joy and abandon, frequently leaving Alcaraz on the back foot.
With a star-studded audience watching — including football icon David Beckham in the Royal Box — Alcaraz rallied from behind in the third set and powered through the decider to avoid becoming only the third defending champion in history to lose in the first round. The only others to suffer that fate were Manuel Santana in 1967 and Lleyton Hewitt in 2003.
The two-time defending champion also maintained his unblemished first-round Grand Slam record at 18-0, and his Wimbledon winning run now extends to 15 matches.
Alcaraz faces British qualifier Oliver Tarvet next, who made a strong Grand Slam debut with a straight-sets triumph over Switzerland's Leandro Riedi (6-4, 6-4, 6-4).
Alcaraz is pursuing a unique achievement—consecutive wins at Roland Garros and Wimbledon for a second consecutive year, something that only Bjorn Borg has done during the Open Era.
Having already claimed five titles in 2025, including the French Open as well as ATP Masters 1000 titles in Monte Carlo and Rome, the Spaniard has also just won the Queen's Club Championship for a second time, further cementing his ambition for a third consecutive Wimbledon title.
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