Carlos Alcaraz needed to go through five sets against Fabio Fognini at Wimbledon before winning their first-round match Monday to start his bid for a third consecutive title at the All England Club.
Alcaraz eventually asserted himself in the last set to pick up the 7-5, 6-7 (5), 7-5, 2-6, 6-1 victory at Centre Court.
The No. 2-seeded Alcaraz had a much tougher time than anyone likely expected before he managed to extend his current winning streak to a career-best 19 matches.
Fognini is 38, has said he’ll retire after this season, is ranked 138th and entered the day with an 0-6 record on tour in 2025.
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AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis