The former tennis player Fabio Fognini surprised the Italian audience by reaching the final dancing with the stars (RAI), just months after he announced his retirement from professional tennis at the age of 38. His transition from competitive sports to television caught the attention of audiences who saw him shine on the dance floor with a performance inspired by himself Michael Jacksonreceived praise from the jury and cemented its place among the finalists of the competition.
The participation of Fognini In the dance competition it was a revelation. The player of Sanremowhose career has been defined by creativity and risk on the dance floor, has transferred that essence to the dance floor. His posture, his rhythm and his naturalness surprised those who only knew him for his sporty side. At the last gala she particularly shined with her performance of “Moonwalk” and thus cemented her place in the final of the competition.
In a post on his social networks: Fognini expressed his gratitude for the support he received during his participation in the program: “Yes, in the end! This journey is coming to an end and when I look back, I never thought I would get this far nor that I would have so much fun. If I’m here, I owe it to Giada and everyone who supported me: I owe this success to you. Now my head is set on Saturday. It won’t be easy, but I promise you that we will give it our all.”.
The withdrawal of Fognini This happened in July of this year, after a long career marked by both sporting success and injuries. His departure from the professional circuit took place in the first round Wimbledon 2025where he faced the defending champions Carlos Alcaraz in the central court. The match, which lasted more than four and a half hours, ended with a score of 7-5, 6-7(5), 7-5, 2-6, 6-1 in favor of the Spaniard. Fognini’s dedication and level of play earned him a standing ovation from the audience, who honored his career and competitive spirit.
The game was decided in the fifth set, and although the Italian did not achieve a victory, his performance was considered a “loss-win”. After the game Fognini said: “This is the best way to say goodbye. The last few years have been difficult, I have suffered a lot and today I feel like it’s time.”.
Over the course of his career Fognini conquered nine ATP titles in singles and four in doublesparticularly prominent in tournaments on clay. His greatest individual success was Monte Carlo Masters 1000 in 2019where he excelled Rafael Nadal already in the semifinals Dusan Lajović in the final.
The Italian reached ninth place in the world rankings in 2019 and seventh place in doubles in 2015, thus surpassing the four hundred ATP victories and to become his country’s tennis player with the most wins on the circuit. His most famous victories include those against personalities such as Andy Murray And Novak Djokovic on clay courts. Throughout his career, he collected awards of more than $19 million before his retirement.
The raid by Fognini He showed on Italian television that it is possible to reinvent yourself after retiring from sport. His appearance in dancing with the stars has positioned him as one of the revelations of the program, surprising those who could not imagine seeing him stand out outside the tennis courts.
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