Wawrinka's career ends at Basel Open

Stan Wawrinka retired from professional tennis on Tuesday after losing his opening match at the Basel Open. The 41-year-old Swiss fell to Czech player Jiri Lehecka in straight sets, scores of 7-5 and 7-6 (7/2). This result concluded a 24-year career that included three Grand Slam titles and a peak ranking of world number three.

Wawrinka had announced earlier this season that the Basel Open would be his final tournament. The event is an ATP 500-level competition held in his home country. His career spanned the era of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic. In 2024, Wawrinka told the AFP news agency, "I was lucky enough to be able to play alongside them and sometimes beat them."

The Swiss player won his first major title at the 2014 Australian Open by defeating Nadal. He then beat Djokovic in the final of the 2015 French Open and again in the 2016 US Open final. Wawrinka also won the Davis Cup with Switzerland and earned a gold medal in doubles at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Lehecka, ranked 21st in the world, secured the first set with a break of serve in the 11th game and an ace. The second set reached a tie-break, where Lehecka took control to win the breaker and the match. The home crowd in Basel cheered for Wawrinka on every point, including his trademark one-handed backhands.

After the match, Wawrinka took a lap of the court to thank the audience before leaving the stadium. He had participated in a farewell ceremony in Basel on Monday. Lehecka told Sky Sports, "He won the biggest tournaments, so for me to be here in his moment is a little bit weird. But at the same time, it’s a pleasure and I will never forget this match."

Wawrinka will appear in one more event this year. He announced in June that he would play in a farewell party in Geneva on December 19. The event, titled "One last backhand," will feature both Federer and Andy Murray. Djokovic trained with Wawrinka on Sunday before the tournament and is scheduled to play Ugo Humbert on Wednesday.

Other matches at the Basel Open included a victory by second seed Arthur Fils over Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard. Fils won 7-6 (7/5), 7-5. Spanish third seed Rafael Jodar defeated Alejandro Tabilo in straight sets. Top seed Ben Shelton beat Aleksandar Kovacevic in three sets, with the final two sets going to tie-breaks.