Fabio Fognini gets cocky
In the Corriere della Sera comes a slam against Fabio Fognini, the’former tennis player who after hanging up his racket is devoting himself to other activities, including that of a participant in the Rai program “Ballando con le stelle”. The Ligurian, as far as he was concerned Saturday night on Via Solferino, flunked with a ‘5’. “The always squinting, winking eye, the pleasing manner, Fognini likes himself most of all. A character who falls into the category of ‘hello how am I’, he gets preceded by that human factory defect that many call ‘conceit'”.
Fognini, by breaking into the world’s top 10 thanks to his triumph in the 2019 Monte Carlo Masters 1000, effectively kicked off the golden age of Italian men’s tennis. He has won, including one in Monaco, nine ATP major circuit tournaments in his career. His last match was this year’s first round at Wimbledon lost in five sets to Carlos Alcaraz. In recent months, moreover, he has had several opportunities to have his say on Jannik Sinner’s exploits. One materialized in August, shortly after his retirement came after the Wimbledon defeat. “We have the opportunity to rejoice over a champion, who is number one in the world, who is opening up so many avenues to practice the sport and bringing so many children closer”, stated the Ligurian on that occasion, referring to the San Candido outfielder.
Further statements were not lacking at two other pivotal moments of Sinner’s season. Such as the final of the US Open, in which the South Tyrolean surrendered to Alcaraz match, tournament, and number 1 in the ATP ranking. Host of Alessandro Cattelan on ‘Supernova’ however, Fognini defended his compatriot: “He knows that he has been taken to ‘balls’ and now he has to get out of the comfort zone and do something different next time in order to beat him. They will entertain us. Then as you know in Italy if you win you are a phenomenon, if you lose, like the other day, they start dotting the i”. A full-blown prediction.
Still more direct is his opinion on the real “case” that has marked Sinner’s season finale, complete with controversy that has spread like wildfire even outside the tennis world (think of the stances on social media by Bruno Vespa and Andrea Scanzi). “I think it is more than understandable!!! As a player I understand his decision to finish 2024 as best he can and prepare for the real goals he has in 2026. He is 24 years old and surely he will have another 100 times the ’opportunity to carry our beloved flag” indeed, Fognini recently said when talking about the ‘no’ of the South Tyrolean in the Davis Cup.
