Two-time defending champion Carlos Alcaraz emerged victorious on the opening day of Wimbledon 2025 against Italy`s Fabio Fognini in an intense five-set match at the All England Club.
With this victory, the Spaniard has reached the second round of the men`s singles of Wimbledon 2025.
Carlos Alcaraz, the World No 2 and French Open 2025 winner, overcame the veteran Italian 7-5, 6-7(5), 7-5, 2-6, 6-1 amid the intense London heat in four hours and 37 minutes.
In a topsy-turvy battle, which featured first-class shotmaking, Alcaraz showed his trademark grit to triumph on the hottest opening day at The Championships with temperatures reaching 31.4 degrees Celsius.
The Spaniard, who now holds a standout 14-1 fifth-set record and recently defeated Jannik Sinner in the Roland Garros final, was made to work extremely hard against a free-hitting Fognini.
With an 18-match winning streak in London, the 22-year-old will be aiming to join Bjorn Borg to become the second man in the game`s history to win the Roland Garros-Wimbledon double in consecutive years. Additionally, the 18-match winning streak also marks the longest of Alcaraz`s career.
Before the start of the match, a few people would have expected the Spain-born to find difficulties against the well-experienced Fognini. The 38-year-old Italian tennis star is the third-oldest man in the men`s singles draw and entered the court on the back of a 10-match tour-level losing streak.
Yet for periods, Alcaraz was in real trouble on Centre Court. With David Beckham watching on in the Royal Box, Alcaraz rallied from a breakdown in the third set and finally put the Italian to bed in a dominant fifth set. With his win, the No. 2 player in the ATP Rankings avoided becoming just the third defending champion to lose in the first round. Manuel Santana fell in 1967 and Lleyton Hewitt in 2003.
Alcaraz also maintained his perfect first-round record at the majors (18-0) and extended his winning streak at Wimbledon to 15 matches. He will next meet British qualifier Oliver Tarvet after the 21-year-old beat Swiss Leandro Riedi 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 to earn victory on his major debut.
The Spaniard will be eyeing his sixth title of the season, highlighted by his fifth major title at Roland Garros and ATP Masters 1000 titles in Monte Carlo and Rome. In the previous month, he clinched the Queen`s Club title for the second time.
(With IANS Inputs)
