Why did Carlos Alcaraz vs Fabio Fognini Wimbledon battle get delayed? All you need to know about the unusual situation in the final set

Carlos Alcaraz and Fabio Fognini played a thrilling five-setter in the opening round of the 2025 Wimbledon Championships, one that saw the defending champion finally going through to the next round after an epic victory. In addition to the length of the battle, an additional 15 minute delay saw the match getting further dragged on.

Alcaraz took the opening set 7-5, followed bt Fognini taking the next in a tiebreaker. The see-saw battle continued, with Alcaraz taking the third set 7-5 again and then losing the fourth 2-6 to take things to a decider. After an unusal lack of concentration in the fourth set, the Spaniard regrouped when it mattered, breaking early in the final set for a 3-0 lead.

Here, however, the match ground to a halt. An elderly fan in the stands on Center Court took ill and collapesed, forcing security and medical staff at the tournament to attend to her needs. In a heartwarming gesture, the World No. 2 even took it upon himself to send water over to the collapsed supporter.

As a result, the players were told by the chair umpire and the match referee to stop. For more than 15 minutes, there was no play, during which the pair got some much-needed rest under the shade.

Thankfully, the situation quickly resolved without getting worse. When action resumed, Fognini served and went 40-0 up, only to get broken from there for 0-4. A few minutes later, Carlos Alcaraz polished off a 7-5, 6-7, 7-5, 2-6, 6-1 win, after spending more than four and a half hours on court in his first match of the tournament.

Edited by Shyam Kamal