Tennis star Stan Wawrinka has ended his professional career at the age of 41. The Swiss veteran concluded his journey at his home tournament in Basel, suffering a defeat against Jiri Lehecka in his opening match.
Wawrinka’s Praise for Roger Federer
Wawrinka departs the sport as a three-time Grand Slam champion, having secured his first major title at the Australian Open in 2014 by defeating Rafael Nadal. Speaking to reporters shortly after that triumph in Melbourne, Wawrinka described his compatriot Roger Federer as the greatest player in history.
Describing their relationship, Wawrinka stated, “Yeah, Roger is a good friend. He’s for me the best player ever. He’s been there for so many years. He was struggling a little bit last year, but except that he’s an amazing player, amazing friend, because he always wants the best for me.”
He added that Federer consistently reached out via text message, even after tough losses, and was among the very few people he heard from immediately after winning the title. The two players crossed paths 26 times on the ATP Tour, with Federer claiming 23 victories.
Reflecting on Grand Slam Success
Throughout his career, Wawrinka compiled a 3-19 record against Nadal and a 6-21 record against Novak Djokovic. However, he overcame Nadal in the 2014 Australian Open final, and later defeated Djokovic in the title matches of the 2015 French Open and the 2016 US Open, alongside a loss to Nadal in the 2017 French Open final.
Expressing his astonishment following his maiden major victory, Wawrinka noted, “To be honest, I don’t realise. I still think that I’m dreaming.”
He continued by explaining, “It’s a strange feeling, you know. I saw so many finals. I always try to watch the finals of Grand Slams because that’s where the best players are playing. Before today for me wasn’t a dream. I never expected to play a final. I never expected to win a Grand Slam. And right now I just did it. And especially the way I was playing all the tournament, it’s for me a big surprise to play that well.”
Wawrinka defeated Nadal 6–3, 6–2, 3–6, 6–3 in the 2014 final, before earning 4–6, 6–4, 6–3, 6–4 and 6–7(1–7), 6–4, 7–5, 6–3 wins against Djokovic in Paris and New York. He concluded that his tournament run demonstrated the value of long-term hard work and dedication.
