Two-time defending Wimbledon champion Carlos Alcaraz takes on Fabio Fognini in the first round at the All England Club.
Carlos Alcaraz vs. Fabio Fognini preview
Carlos Alcaraz is taking on Fabio Fognini in the first round at Wimbledon. Alcaraz is looking to join an exclusive group with Bjorn Borg, Pete Sampras and Roger Federer as the only men to win three straight Wimbledon titles. This would also be Alcaraz’s sixth Grand Slam title, which would get him into a club with just 12 other men who have won six Grand Slams in the Open Era. Alcaraz is not only the two-time defending champion here at Wimbledon, but he is also coming off a Grand Slam title win at Roland Garros. In the French Open, Alcaraz defeated World No. 1 Jannik Sinner in an all-time thriller of a final. While Sinner is the world’s top-ranked player, Alcaraz has proven to be the man to beat in Grand Slams.
Fabio Fognini should be a fun test for Alcaraz. While it would take a miracle for Fognini to pull off the upset, he could give Alcaraz a real challenge. Fognini is now 38 years old, and his game has started to slip away, but he has a great pedigree. He was one of the great doubles players of the mid-2010s, winning the 2015 Australian Open in men’s doubles. He never reached the same heights in singles, only making one Grand Slam quarterfinal in his career. This could end up being the final season of Fognini’s career, as he announced at the Italian Open that it would be his final trip to that tournament. So far this Grand Slam season, he missed out on the Australian Open and lost his first qualifier at Roland Garros. Now, he takes on the two-time defending champion in what could be his final trip to Wimbledon.
Alcaraz vs. Fognini pick, best bet
Carlos Alcaraz is the king of Wimbledon in recent years. He should be able to get past Fabio Fognini with minimal issue. These two have faced off twice before in the past, most recently in 2023, and Alcaraz won both meetings. However, Fognini did steal a set in that most recent meeting. Despite his career coming to a natural close, Fognini did put up a great effort at Wimbledon last season. He made it to the third round after upsetting the eighth-seeded Casper Ruud. He then made it to a fifth set in that third-round match against Roberto Bautista Agut. In Fognini’s likely final match at Wimbledon, he should put up another good fight against Alcaraz. With the difference in quality between these two at the moment, a good fight for Fognini would be stealing one set. At odds of +310, I am willing to take a shot on Fognini stealing a set and betting on Alcaraz to win three sets to one.
