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Fabio Fognini
Fabio Fognini 2018 US Open (cropped).jpg
Fognini playing in the 2018 US Open
Country (sports)  Italy
Residence Arma di Taggia, Italy
Born (1987-05-24) 24 May 1987 (age 38)
Sanremo, Italy
Height 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Turned pro 2004
Retired 9 July 2025
Plays Right-handed (two-handed backhand)
Coach Filippo Baldi
Prize money US $ 18,996,017
  • 36th in all–time earnings
Singles
Career record 426–396
Career titles 9
Highest ranking No. 9 (15 July 2019)
Grand Slam singles results
Australian Open 4R (2014, 2018, 2020, 2021)
French Open QF (2011)
Wimbledon 3R (2010, 2014, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2024)
US Open 4R (2015)
Other tournaments
Olympic Games 3R (2016, 2021)
Doubles
Career record 224–221
Career titles 8
Highest ranking No. 7 (20 July 2015)
Grand Slam doubles results
Australian Open W (2015)
French Open SF (2015)
Wimbledon 2R (2014)
US Open SF (2011)
Other doubles tournaments
Tour Finals RR (2015)
Olympic Games QF (2016)
Mixed doubles
Grand Slam mixed doubles results
Australian Open 2R (2013, 2016)
Wimbledon 2R (2012, 2013)
Team competitions
Davis Cup SF (2014, 2022)
Record: 35–20 (63.64%)

Fabio Fognini (born May 24, 1987) is an Italian former professional tennis player. He reached his highest ranking of world No. 9 on July 15, 2019. Fabio was especially good on red clay courts, where he won eight of his nine major singles titles. His biggest win was at the 2019 Monte-Carlo Masters.

He also made it to the quarterfinals of the 2011 French Open. In doubles, Fabio and his partner Simone Bolelli won the 2015 Australian Open doubles championship. They were the first all-Italian men's team to win a Grand Slam title in the Open Era of tennis. Fabio officially retired from tennis on July 9, 2025.

Early Life and Interests

Fabio Fognini was born to Silvana and Fulvio. He has a younger sister. He started playing tennis when he was just four years old. Besides tennis, Fabio loves football and supports the teams Inter Milan and Genoa CFC. He also enjoys motorbike racing and is a big fan of Valentino Rossi. Fabio can speak Italian, English, Spanish, and French. His nickname is "Fogna."

Tennis Career Highlights

Junior Years

As a junior player, Fabio Fognini had a good record, winning 72 matches and losing 36. He reached a combined ranking of No. 8 in the world in May 2004. During his junior career, he made it to the quarterfinals of both the Australian Open and French Open.

Starting Professional Tennis (2004–2006)

Fabio began his professional journey by playing in smaller tournaments called Futures and Challenger events. He won his first Futures title in 2005. In 2006, he played his first match on the main ATP World Tour in Buenos Aires. He lost to the former World No. 1 player, Carlos Moyá.

Breaking into the Top 100 (2007)

In 2007, Fabio made big steps in his career. He played in his first Grand Slam tournament at the French Open. He also had a great run at the 2007 Rogers Masters in Canada, where he beat the 13th seed Andy Murray. He then faced the World No. 1, Roger Federer, in the third round. By the end of 2007, Fabio was ranked in the top 100 players for the first time, at No. 94.

First Doubles Final (2008)

In 2008, Fabio reached the semi-finals of tournaments in Warsaw and Umag. He also won two Challenger tournaments, showing his skill on clay courts.

Winning a Challenger Title (2009)

In April 2009, Fabio had a notable performance at the Monte-Carlo Masters. He upset Tomáš Berdych and Marin Čilić. In July, he won the San Benedetto Challenger title.

Major Quarterfinal (2011)

The year 2011 was a breakthrough for Fabio. He reached the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam for the first time at the French Open. He won a very long and exciting match against Albert Montañés, which lasted over four hours. Fabio was supposed to play against World No. 2 Novak Djokovic in the quarterfinals, but he had to withdraw because of an injury. Even so, he was the first Italian man to reach the French Open quarterfinals since 1995. This achievement helped him reach a career-high ranking of World No. 32.

First ATP Finals (2012)

Fabio Fognini & Jo-Wilfried Tsonga
Fognini and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga at the 2012 French Open

After reaching many semi-finals, Fabio finally made it to his first career final in Bucharest in April 2012. He finished as the runner-up. He also reached the third round of the US Open, which was his best performance there at the time.

Winning ATP Titles and Top 20 Ranking (2013)

In 2013, Fabio and Simone Bolelli reached the semi-finals in doubles at the Australian Open. Fabio also had a great run at the Monte Carlo Masters, reaching the semi-finals and beating two top-10 players.

He won his first singles title at the 2013 MercedesCup in Stuttgart. The very next week, he won his second title at the 2013 International German Open. This amazing winning streak helped him enter the ATP top 20 for the first time, becoming the No. 1 Italian player. He then reached his third final in a row at Umag.

Third ATP Title (2014)

Fabio Fognini (14544903364)
Fognini at the 2014 Wimbledon Championships

At the Australian Open, Fabio reached the fourth round, his best result there. He then won his third career title at the Chile Open. Fabio also helped Italy reach the Davis Cup semifinals by beating Andy Murray on clay.

Australian Open Doubles Win (2015)

Fabio achieved a huge milestone in 2015 by winning his first Grand Slam title. He and Simone Bolelli won the 2015 Australian Open doubles championship. He also had impressive singles wins against Rafael Nadal in Rio and Barcelona. At the US Open, Fabio made a big upset by beating Rafael Nadal in a five-set match, coming back from two sets down.

Fourth Title and Rio Olympics (2016)

Fabio won his fourth ATP title at the 2016 Croatia Open. He also reached the third round of the 2016 Rio Olympics, where he played a tough match against Andy Murray.

Fifth Title (2017)

Fabio reached the semi-finals in Miami in 2017. He also won the trophy in Gstaad. Later that year, he was suspended from the US Open for unsportsmanlike behavior.

Eight ATP Tour Titles (2018)

Fabio Fognini serving
Fabio Fognini serving in his semi-final match against Daniil Medvedev at the 2018 Sydney International

Fabio had a very successful year in 2018, winning three titles. He won the Brasil Open in São Paulo, the Swedish Open in Båstad, and the Los Cabos Open. His win in Los Cabos was against the world number 4, Juan Martín del Potro. He ended the year ranked No. 13, his highest ranking at that time.

Monte-Carlo Champion and World No. 9 (2019)

Fognini RG19 (2) (48199370342)
Fognini at the 2019 French Open

In 2019, Fabio won his biggest title at the Monte Carlo Masters. He beat top players like Alexander Zverev and Rafael Nadal on his way to the final. By defeating Nadal, he became one of only four players to beat Nadal three times on clay. He then won the final against Dušan Lajović. After this win, Fabio entered the world's top 10 for the first time, reaching World No. 9. He was the oldest player to break into the top-10 since 1973.

Australian Open Fourth Rounds (2020–2021)

Fabio reached the fourth round of the Australian Open in 2020 and again in the 2021 Australian Open. In 2021, he had a memorable match against Salvatore Caruso, winning in a very close fifth-set tiebreak.

Record 400th Singles Career Win (2022)

In 2022, Fabio achieved a major milestone by winning his 400th career match at the 2022 Hamburg European Open. He became the first Italian man in the Open Era to reach 400 tour-level wins.

Final Years and Retirement (2023–2025)

In 2023, Fabio received wildcards to play in important tournaments like the Italian Open and the Shanghai Masters. He reached his first ATP semifinal of the season in Metz. He also won the Valencia Challenger title.

In 2024, Fabio continued to play, reaching the quarterfinals at the 2024 Grand Prix Hassan II. He also had a notable win at the 2024 Wimbledon Championships, where he beat the No. 8 seed Casper Ruud to reach the third round. He finished the 2024 season ranked No. 91 in the world.

Fabio Fognini announced on May 7, 2025, that the 2025 Italian Open would be his final appearance at that tournament. He played his last professional tournament at the 2025 Wimbledon Championships, where he lost in a five-set match to the defending champion Carlos Alcaraz in the first round. Fabio officially announced his retirement from tennis on July 9, 2025.

Playing for Italy

Fabio has been a key player for Italy in the Davis Cup. He helped Italy reach the quarterfinals in 2013 and 2014. In 2014, he played a crucial role in Italy's victory over Great Britain, beating Andy Murray in a straight-sets match. This was a big moment, as it was only the second time Murray had lost a singles match in the Davis Cup.

Equipment and Style

Fabio uses a Babolat Pure Drive Racquet with Babolat RPM Blast strings. He has also had partnerships with sports brands like Hydrogen, ASICS, and Emporio Armani EA7 for his clothing and shoes.

Fabio is known for his exciting and sometimes fiery style of play. He is very fast on the court and has powerful groundstrokes, especially his forehand. He is also known for his strong backhand down the line. While his serve isn't his strongest weapon, he focuses on placing it precisely.

Personal Life

Since 2014, Fabio has been with Italian tennis player Flavia Pennetta. Flavia won the 2015 US Open singles title before she retired. They got engaged in 2015 and married on June 16, 2016. They have three children: a son born in 2017, a daughter born in 2019, and another daughter born in 2021.

In October 2020, Fabio tested positive for COVID-19 but recovered. He is a big fan of the football clubs Inter Milan and Genoa C.F.C.. His nickname "Fogna" comes from his last name.

Career Statistics Summary

For more detailed information on Fabio Fognini's career, you can visit the main article:

Grand Slam Finals

Doubles

Result Year Tournament Surface Partner Opponents Score
Win 2015 Australian Open Hard Italy Simone Bolelli France Pierre-Hugues Herbert
France Nicolas Mahut
6–4, 6–4

ATP 1000 Finals

Singles

Result Year Tournament Surface Opponents Score
Win 2019 Monte-Carlo Masters Clay Serbia Dušan Lajović 6–3, 6–4

Doubles

Result Year Tournament Surface Partner Opponents Score
Loss 2015 Indian Wells Open Hard Italy Simone Bolelli United States Jack Sock
Canada Vasek Pospisil
4–6, 7–6(3–7), [7–10]
Loss 2015 Monte-Carlo Masters Clay Italy Simone Bolelli United States Bob Bryan
United States Mike Bryan
6–7(3–7), 1–6
Loss 2015 Shanghai Masters Hard Italy Simone Bolelli South Africa Raven Klaasen
Brazil Marcelo Melo
3–6, 3–6

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See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Fabio Fognini para niños

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