Stan Wawrinka officially ended his decorated 24-year professional career on Tuesday following a first-round exit at the Basel Open. The 41-year-old Swiss athlete, who previously declared that this ATP 500-level tournament in his home country would be his final professional outing, fell to Czech opponent Jiri Lehecka with a score of 7-5, 7-6 (7/2).
Reflecting on his time competing against the sport’s greatest names, Wawrinka noted in a 2024 interview that he felt fortunate to have played alongside legends like Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic, often managing to secure victories against them. Alongside Andy Murray, Wawrinka stands as one of the few players to secure multiple Grand Slam titles during an era dominated by the sport’s “Big Three.” “I was lucky enough to be able to play alongside them and sometimes beat them,” Wawrinka told the AFP news agency in 2024.
His major accomplishments include a 2014 Australian Open victory over Nadal, followed by French Open and US Open titles where he defeated Djokovic in 2015 and 2016, respectively. Beyond his singles success, the Lausanne native achieved significant milestones alongside Federer, winning the Davis Cup for Switzerland and earning a gold medal in doubles at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
During his final match, the local crowd in Basel offered enthusiastic support, cheering every point won and celebrating his signature powerful one-handed backhands.
While Lehecka maintained composure, breaking serve in the 11th game of the first set to take the lead and eventually dominating the second-set tie-break to finalize the victory, he expressed deep respect for his opponent. “He won the biggest tournaments, so for me to be here in his moment is a little bit weird,” Lehecka told Sky Sports. “But at the same time, it’s a pleasure and I will never forget this match.” But it was just a step too far for Wawrinka as his 21st-ranked opponent took firm control to seal the breaker and the match, a tight second set went to a tie-break.
Following the match, Wawrinka performed a final lap around the court to thank his supporters before heading down the tunnel. This farewell followed a formal ceremony held in his honor on Monday. While his professional competitive career has concluded, fans will have one more opportunity to see the star in action; Wawrinka is scheduled to host a “One last backhand” farewell event in Geneva on December 19, which is set to feature appearances by Federer and Murray.
In other Basel Open action, second-seeded Arthur Fils advanced to the round of 16 after defeating fellow Frenchman Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard 7-6 (7/5), 7-5. Spanish third seed Rafael Jodar secured a straight-sets win over Chilean player Alejandro Tabilo, while top seed Ben Shelton outlasted American compatriot Aleksandar Kovacevic in a grueling three-set match, 6-7 (4/7), 7-6 (7/3), 7-6 (7/4).
Novak Djokovic, who was seen training with Wawrinka on Sunday ahead of the tournament, is scheduled to begin his campaign on Wednesday against French player Ugo Humbert.
