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Reflections on Fabio Fognini

Apr 23rd 2015

Just because Fabio Fognini recently defeated Rafael Nadal on clay for the second time this year does not mean that he is any closer to fulfilling his undoubted talent. Or that the Italian has come any closer to understanding what it takes to compete at the very top of the game. But what it does do, is remind us after a long period of very poor results of just what a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma Fognini truly is.

Fabio Fognini

Few can make the game of tennis look so simple – or mind-boggedly difficult and complex – as the 27-year old. He strikes the ball cleanly from both sides, without actually looking like he is doing much at all, barely even bending his knees. It is all soft hands and timing. And his movement is equally easy on the eye, particularly on his beloved clay, where he struts about and takes every opportunity to glide into the ball rather than to run. And if you are reading this, you will no doubt also know about the Italian’s most spectacular ”talent”:  his odd outbursts and hot temperament, which gives him an uncanny ability to implode in any number of situations.

Apart from a lucky few, tennis players move around the tour with a constant sense of insecurity. They know they will fall short almost all of the time, and that they have done well if they manage to win a couple of titles in a year. But what is hugely important is to tackle this distinctive situation in the right way:  to learn from what is happening, and to use it as a building block in your development towards a brighter future. It is essential to send the right signals for your own benefit, and towards your opponents, earning the respect of your future rivals on tour.

Fognini’s attitude and will-to-win is regularly criticized, and rightly so. He is too mentally weak to ever fulfil his potential. The Italian lacks the determination and passion for competing that is needed to take the step from a good player to one who troubles the very top of the game. And, at 27, it is not something he will learn as he goes along.

Fabio Fognini

Taking the analysis one step beyond criticizing what is obvious for everyone to see, the clear impression as a spectator is that behind the outbursts and tendency to cave in as soon as the going gets tough, lies a very fragile confidence. It seems that Fognini just cannot absorb the disappointment, the mental blow, of fighting hard and playing to the very best of his abilities – and still lose. This scenario would be too humiliating to comprehend.

Instead, the doubtless unconscious reasoning seems to be something like if you are going to lose, it is better to do so ”on your own terms,” whether it is exploding or imploding, abusing the umpire, or putting on some strange kind of show for the crowd. This provides yourself with an easy excuse instead of an uncomfortable truth about your game, and thus it protects your confidence, in a very odd way. One thing we can be sure of. Fognini will never develop into one of the great fighters who compete for the game's biggest prizes. But it would be interesting if he could at least learn to send the right signals through body language and attitude. He still can learn how to deal with tough situations and losses in a manner worthy of a professional sportsman.

Sadly, the Italian will never do his talent real justice, but it would be great – for him, and for tennis fans – if he at least could learn to always give himself an honest chance out on the court.