Basel farewell: Wawrinka exits career after defeat
The 41-year-old Swiss lost his final professional match to Jiri Lehecka, concluding a 24-year career that included three Grand Slam titles.
By Aaron Foster ·
Stan Wawrinka’s professional tennis career ended in Basel on Tuesday after a first-round loss at the ATP 500 event.
The 41-year-old Swiss player fell to Czech opponent Jiri Lehecka, 7-5 and 7-6 (7/2). Wawrinka had announced earlier in the season that this home tournament would be his final professional appearance. Lehecka secured the opening set by breaking serve in the 11th game and finishing with an ace. The second set reached a tie-break, where the 21st-ranked Lehecka took control to close out the match.
The crowd in Basel reacted with loud cheers to every point Wawrinka won, particularly his one-handed backhands. Following the match, Wawrinka completed a lap of the court to acknowledge the supporters before leaving through the tunnel. Lehecka described the moment as strange but pleasurable, stating he would never forget the match.
Wawrinka’s career spanned 24 years and included three Grand Slam championships. He won the Australian Open in 2014 by defeating Rafael Nadal. He claimed the French Open title in 2015 and the US Open title in 2016, winning both finals against Novak Djokovic. As a former world No. 3, Wawrinka was one of only two players, alongside Andy Murray, to win multiple major titles during the era dominated by Federer, Nadal, and Djokovic.
The Lausanne native also won Davis Cup titles with Switzerland and secured an Olympic gold medal in doubles at the 2008 Beijing Games. Before this tournament, Wawrinka participated in a farewell ceremony in Basel on Monday.
Fans will have another opportunity to see Wawrinka this year. He announced in June that a farewell party named "One last backhand" will take place in Geneva on December 19. Roger Federer and Andy Murray are scheduled to participate in that event.
In other first-round results at the Basel Open, second seed Arthur Fils defeated Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard 7-6 (7/5) and 7-5 to advance to the round of 16. Third seed Rafael Jodar defeated Alejandro Tabilo in straight sets. Top seed Ben Shelton won his match against Aleksandar Kovacevic 6-7 (4/7), 7-6 (7/3), and 7-6 (7/4). Novak Djokovic, who trained with Wawrinka on Sunday, is set to play Ugo Humbert on Wednesday.
