Fabio Fognini still enjoys the spotlight, from dancing shoes to a visit to Tenerife Challenger | ATP tour | Tennis

Challenger

Fognini still enjoys the spotlight, from dancing shoes to visiting the Tenerife Challenger

The Italian played in exho at Tenerife Challenger on Sunday
February 17, 2026

Fabio Fognini made a special appearance at the Tenerife Challenger 2 last weekend, sharing his smiles and laughter in front of a packed crowd while playing a practice match.

The former No. 9 player in the PIF ATP Rankings attended Sunday’s final in Tenerife – won by Lloyd Harris – and took time to reflect on his life since retiring from professional tennis in July.

“After Wimbledon I took two months of complete vacation,” Fognini told the Tenerife Challenger media team. “Then I started on ‘Dancing With The Stars’, so now I’m ready to dance off the field too,” he added with a laugh.

A nine-time ATP Tour title winner, Fognini used the ATP Challenger circuit as a launching pad in the early days of his career, winning his first title at that level in 2008 as a 21-year-old. The Italian also competed in selected Challenger tournaments during his last three years on Tour.

Fognini spoke highly of the competition at ATP Challenger level, noting the clash between hungry young talent and Tour veterans.

“They are very tough,” Fognini said of ATP Challenger tournaments. “There are some young guys who dream of moving up the rankings and guys like me are trying to move up. I dropped a little bit, had so many injuries, so fighting with the young guys is difficult. The level is really high.”

Fognini, a fan favorite who loved to entertain with his shooting ability and off-court flair, announced his retirement at Wimbledon last year after a five-set first-round loss to Carlos Alcaraz. The Italian finished his career with a match record of 426-396, according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index.

How is Fognini doing since he retired?

“If you practice this sport for twenty – and perhaps more – years, the first step is to miss the competition, I miss that [playing]he said. “I haven’t regretted anything, so I’m happy to be here.”