Fabio Fognini is leaving professional tennis. The 38-year-old Italian announced his retirement during a press conference at Wimbledon, scene of one of the most iconic tournaments of his long career. “I think this is the best way to say goodbye,” he said, visibly emotional. Fognini closes a career full of successes and memorable moments: in singles, he has won nine ATP titles, including a historic triumph at the Monte Carlo Masters 1000 in 2019. In doubles, he peaked with Simone Bolelli by winning the 2015 Australian Open. In Grand Slam tournaments, his best singles result remains the quarter final at Roland Garros in 2011. In the summer of 2019, he touched the No. 9 position in the world rankings, thus entering the Top 10. During the conference, Fognini reviewed the last years of his career, marked by injuries and declines in the rankings, but also by a deep passion for the sport: "I have had many ups and downs, but the love for tennis has never waned. It has been the companion of my life. After the game with Alcaraz, I realized I didn't want to go back. It's time to be honest with myself". The initial goal was a retirement to Monte Carlo, the tournament that most represented him, but life, he said, “has other plans”. "I played in the era of the greatest: Djokovic, Nadal, Federer. To have been part of this generation is a privilege. I will not participate in any more tournaments, I am leaving today (yesterday, ed.). It is a difficult but right decision. I have given everything, and I leave where tennis was born, on the most beautiful court in the world".