Carlos Alcaraz's opponent wished 'a bomb would explode' on Wimbledon court

Second seed Carlos Alcaraz could be in for an interesting few hours at Wimbledon on Monday when he takes on former world No.9 Fabio Fognini. The Spaniard, who is targeting a third straight singles crown, learned in Friday's main draw that he would be facing the Italian for the third time in his career.

With Alcaraz the defending champion, the match is likely to be given top billing on Centre Court. That might be just as well, given Fognini's behaviour at SW19 six years ago. He arrived at the Grand Slam seeded 12th, but was left furious after being made to play his third-round match on Court 14.

His campaign ended there, as he was beaten in straight sets by unseeded American player Tennys Sandgren. During the third set, a line call was overturned against Fognini, and he vented his frustration at the absence of the Hawkeye technology afforded to the showpiece courts.

"Is it fair to play here?" he asked the umpire. "Damn English, really. Damned, really. I wish a bomb would explode on this club. A bomb should explode here."

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He escaped sanctions for the comments and later apologised to anyone that "feels offended" and the longing for an explosion mid-tournament probably wouldn't have endeared him to tournament organisers. Fognini has eight ATP titles to his name, but has never been beyond the third round at the All England Tennis Club.

However, he did reach the final of the 2016 Rio Olympics, taking Sir Andy Murray to three sets but having to settle for a silver medal. The following year, however, he was back in the headlines for the wrong reasons after being thrown out of the US Open.

After a first-round loss, Fognini, 38, was suspended from the tournament for unsportsmanlike conduct, specifically three violations, including using misogynistic language towards the female umpire. He was fined £69,000 and forced to default his scheduled doubles match with partner Simone Bolelli.

Alcaraz has won both of the pair's previous two meetings. Fognini is now ranked 127th in the world, some 125 places below his opponent.

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