Fabio Fognini has revealed that he upset his own son by banning him from speaking to Wimbledon foe Carlos Alcaraz. The veteran Italian was drawn in a fairytale clash against the reigning two-time champion on Centre Court.

As soon as the draw was made, Fognini’s oldest son, Federico, called him to discuss his upcoming clash with Alcaraz. The eight-year-old insisted that he would make the trip to London to watch the match, particularly as he is a huge fan of the Spaniard and fellow Italian Jannik Sinner. However, when they arrived in SW19, Federico spotted Alcaraz but was banned from talking to the 22-year-old. Fognini said he was ‘angry’ over the decision.

“Obviously, with these guys, there’s little to think about,” Fognini told AS, reacting to the draw. “Two days ago, when the draw came out, my son called me and said, ‘Dad, see, you’re playing against Carlitos’. And I said, ‘Yes, do you want to come?’. [He said] ‘Yes, yes, yes, I’m coming, I’m coming’.

“And [my wife] Flavia, also with the little girl, is coming to watch the game. Now, when [my eldest son] saw him, I told him, ‘Don’t say hello to him, because he’s my opponent tomorrow’, and he got angry.”

Speaking before the Italian Open in the spring, Fognini hinted that he could retire this year. That means this could be the 38-year-old’s 15th and final appearance at Wimbledon. His career has spanned the era of tennis’ Big Three – Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic.

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So he will know better than most how well the likes of Alcaraz and Sinner compare to the sport’s greats.

Fognini continued: “Honestly, I’m happy, because with everything I’ve done, playing against Carlitos here is worth it. Right now, he’s the most in-form player on tour – he won last time. It couldn’t have been better. Obviously, in terms of tennis and winning matches, I would have liked to play him a little later, but that’s the way it is.

“Exactly, that’s how I see it. I know him well, even though he’s quite young. What he’s achieving, alongside Jannik, is like seeing a little bit of my era, that of Rafa and Roger with Nole. So at this point, it’s a nice reward. I hope I enjoy it as much as I can and play a good match – that’s the most important thing.”

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