Fabio Fognini handed Rafael Nadal three of his 51 clay-court defeats.
The Italian never won a Grand Slam or broke into the top five, but caused problems for the greatest clay-court player of all time, Nadal.
Is a French Open boycott realistic?
Players aren't happy with the prize money on offer…
Fognini has now shared why his game troubled the 22-time Grand Slam champion.
Fabio Fognini doesn’t think Rafael Nadal liked his ‘crazy’ game
Appearing as a guest on Andy Roddick’s ‘Q&Andy‘, Fognini was asked about his remarkable record vs Nadal on clay.
“My game was a bit, let’s say, crazy,” he said.
“Different, whatever.
“I knew him really well, because I was living in Spain for more than 10 years, so I was not studying, but knowing Carlos Moya a lot; he was my favourite player.
“I think I had a really clear game against him. I know it’s difficult, I lost to him 14, 15 times, but the three times that I was lucky to beat him, I think my game was a bit, let’s say, not really comfortable for his game.
Fabio Fognini and Rafael Nadal’s clay-court head-to-head record
| Match | Winner | Loser | Score |
| 2019 Monte Carlo Masters – SF | Fabio Fognini | Rafael Nadal | 6-4, 6-2 |
| 2018 Italian Open – QF | Rafael Nadal | Fabio Fognini | 4-6, 6-1, 6-2 |
| 2017 Madrid Open – 2R | Rafael Nadal | Fabio Fognini | 7-6, 3-6, 6-4 |
| 2016 Barcelona Open – QF | Rafael Nadal | Fabio Fognini | 6-2, 7-6 |
| 2015 Hamburg Open – F | Rafael Nadal | Fabio Fognini | 7-5, 7-5 |
| 2015 Barcelona Open – 3R | Fabio Fognini | Rafael Nadal | 6-4, 7-6 |
| 2015 Rio Open – SF | Fabio Fognini | Rafael Nadal | 1-6, 6-2, 7-5 |
| 2013 French Open – 3R | Rafael Nadal | Fabio Fognini | 7-6, 6-4, 6-4 |
| 2013 Italian Open – 2R | Rafael Nadal | Fabio Fognini | 6-1, 6-3 |
“On clay, he was the best player in the world. My game at the time, sometimes, if I woke up on the right foot, he was not happy.
“We played a lot of matches. I remember one final in Hamburg, I lost 7-5, 7-5, we played two hours, 40 minutes, and he was cramping during the ceremony.
“So I was saying, he doesn’t like my game.”
But even though Fognini beat Nadal three times on clay, that didn’t help him win a Grand Slam title.
The 38-year-old now explains why it was ‘impossible’ for him to win a major.
“In our time, I was nine in the world, let’s say my dream was to play a good Grand Slam,” said Fognini.
“But if I was playing the fourth round, I had you [Andy Roddick], Roger [Federer], Rafa [Nadal], Stan [Wawrinka], Del Po, [David] Ferrer, [Juan Carlos] Ferrero, so I mean, I have like 10 guys in front of me.
Fabio Fognini’s Grand Slam record
| Grand Slam | Best performance | Win/Loss record | Win % |
| Australian Open | 4R – 2014, 2018, 2020, 2021 | 16-16 | 50% |
| French Open | QF – 2011 | 27-16 | 63% |
| Wimbledon | 3R – 2010, 2014, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2024 | 18-15 | 55% |
| US Open | 4R – 2015 | 10-15 | 40% |
“I say what the f—, what do I have to do to play at least one quarter-final! Or one semi-final of a Grand Slam?
“I’m not thinking about winning, okay, because it was impossible, it was impossible.
Fabio Fognini’s Grand Slam results
- Final – 0
- Semi-final – 0
- Quarter-final – 1
- Fourth round – 7
- Third round – 16
- Second round – 14
- First round – 25
“I’m honest. It was nice being in this era, because I think it was one of the best eras of our sport.
“But I have to be honest, I played a lot of fourth rounds, one quarter-final in Roland Garros, but constantly playing quarter-finals, semi-finals, or even imagining dreaming of winning a Slam was impossible.”
Fognini came closest to winning a Grand Slam singles title at the 2011 French Open, where he withdrew before his quarter-final match against Novak Djokovic.
It wasn’t to be for Fognini, but he still enjoyed a legendary Grand Slam send-off.
Fabio Fognini says the final match of his career was one of the best he ever played
Fognini retired from tennis at Wimbledon last year, where he lost a first-round classic against the two-time defending champion, Carlos Alcaraz.
“Wimbledon was crazy, that match, if I have to be honest, I played this kind of match on grass, on grass! I’ve never been past the third round of Wimbledon, all my life!” said Fognini.
“But I always say to everybody that I was very lucky that I lost that match, because if I won, the next day would have been a disaster.
“A disaster, for sure!
“The night before, Flavia [Pennetta] came with the two kids, Federico, the big one, is a big fan of Carlitos and Jannik [Sinner]. I was not thinking it was my last match. He says, ‘Papa, you’re going to lose!’. Thank you Federico!
“Before sleeping, trust me, the only thing I had in my mind was, Fabio, please try not to lose 6-2, 6-1, 6-3, try to play your best tennis.
“And actually, I played, I think, the best match of my life, not even on grass, but mostly in Grand Slams, so I was really surprised by myself.
- 2025 Wimbledon 1R – Carlos Alcaraz defeated Fabio Fognini, 7-5, 6-7, 7-5, 2-6, 6-1
“After that, I went home and said, ‘Guys, I think there is no better way to say goodbye.”
Fognini left tennis with his head held high, pushing one of the sport’s best players all the way on Wimbledon’s Centre Court.
