Stan Wawrinka concludes 24-year career after Basel loss
The Swiss veteran lost to Jiri Lehecka in the first round of the ATP 500 event, marking the end of his professional tenure.
By Zara Ahmed ·
Stan Wawrinka retired from professional tennis on Tuesday following a first-round loss at the Basel Open. The 41-year-old Swiss player fell to Czech Jiri Lehecka in a match that concluded his 24-year career in the sport.
Lehecka, ranked 21st in the world, defeated Wawrinka with a score of 7-5 and 7-6 (7/2). The challenger secured the opening set by breaking serve in the 11th game and finishing with an ace. In the second set, the point total reached a tie-break, where Lehecka maintained control to take the final point and the match.
Wawrinka announced earlier in the season that the Basel Open would be his final tournament. He is a three-time Grand Slam champion and reached a career-high ranking of world number three. His major titles came in 2014, 2015, and 2016. He defeated Rafael Nadal at the Australian Open in 2014, Novak Djokovic at the French Open in 2015, and Djokovic again at the US Open in 2016.
During his career, Wawrinka was one of the few players to win multiple major championships alongside Andy Murray during the era dominated by Federer, Nadal, and Djokovic. He also won the Davis Cup for Switzerland and captured a gold medal in doubles at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
The home crowd in Basel cheered loudly as Wawrinka played. He received a farewell ceremony on Monday before his match. After the final point, he walked around the court to acknowledge the audience before leaving through the player tunnel.
Lehecka described the victory as a strange but pleasant moment. He stated that winning against a player who won the biggest tournaments was a feeling he would not forget. Wawrinka plans to hold a farewell event in Geneva on December 19, where Federer and Murray are expected to participate.
Other results from the tournament include Arthur Fils defeating Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard and Rafael Jodar beating Alejandro Tabilo. Ben Shelton advanced past Aleksandar Kovacevic in a three-set match. Novak Djokovic, who trained with Wawrinka on Sunday, will play Ugo Humbert on Wednesday.
Source: Al Jazeera
