Fabio Fognini’s most painful memory: “I thought I was dying, it was panic.”

A long account of himself, in which there is no shortage of very painful chapters.

Fabio Fognini tells his story in the round, and frames the best and the most difficult data of his tennis career. So much so that he wishes that his son would not pursue his career, especially as the Italian recalls a time when too much stress had almost caused him to run out of breath.

“Ours is a very beautiful life, but there are a thousand difficulties,” Fognini explained in his lengthy interview with ‘The Last Man.’ “Being alone, away from home and friends, travel, fatigue, the time difference: there are so many moments that fans don’t see. I’ve always said it, even though it may sound bad: I hope my son doesn’t play tennis. Because I know what I did, the sacrifices my dad made.”

Fognini then recalled one of the most difficult moments of his career and life: “I remember one year I was in Paris, and one night I got up almost crying, next to Flavia. I thought I was dying. I was sweating, tachycardia, my left arm couldn’t feel it, I thought ‘help, I’m having a heart attack.’ But no, it was a panic attack. The next day I went into the field and I didn’t know which way to turn, I didn’t know where to go, I couldn’t breathe properly.”

“At first I was scared. But not as a tennis player hanging up his racket at 35 or 38, as a person. I thought: this is not how I want to be. Because it’s not about suffering on the court, fighting, giving my best, running, winning matches: that’s suffering I’m willing to experience. But off the field I don’t want to suffer like that. So I went deep, I looked for a solution and I found it, however, I struggled a lot, it was hard,” Fognini added.