Fabio Fognini still enjoying spotlight, from dancing shoes to Tenerife Challenger visit | ATP Tour

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Fognini still enjoys spotlight, from dancing shoes to Tenerife challenger visit

The Italian takes on Challengers Tenerife on Sunday

February 17, 2026

Fabio Fognini made a special appearance at Challenger 2 Tenerife last weekend, sharing smiles in front of a full crowd during an exhibition match.

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

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

A nine-time ATP Tour champion, Fognini used the ATP Challenger Tour as a springboard early in his career, winning his first title at that level in 2008 at the age of 21. The Italian also played in select Challenger tournaments during his final three years on tour.

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

“They’re really tough,” Fognini said of the ATP Challenger Tour. “There are some young people who dream of moving up the rankings, and people like me are working their way up. I’ve dropped a bit and had a lot of injuries, so it’s difficult to fight young people. The level is really, really high.”

Fognini, a fan-favorite who loved to entertain crowds with his striking prowess and off-court talent, announced his retirement last year after losing to Carlos Alcaraz in five sets in the first round at Wimbledon. The Italian ended his career with a record of 426 wins and 396 matches, according to the Infosys ATP Win-Loss Index.

How is Fognini doing in retirement?

“When you’ve been in this sport for 20 years or more, the first step is missing games, and I miss that. [playing],” he said. “I don’t regret anything, so I’m happy to be here. “