Stan Wawrinka Retires After First-Round Loss at Swiss Indoors Basel

Stan Wawrinka concluded his 24-year professional tennis career on October 28, 2026, following a first-round defeat at the Swiss Indoors in Basel, his home tournament. The 41-year-old Swiss player lost 7-5, 7-6 (2) to eighth seed Jiri Lehecka. His final shot as a professional was a backhand that sailed wide, drawing an audible reaction from the home crowd. Wawrinka, who turned professional in 2002 and announced his retirement in December 2025, finished his career ranked 151st in the world.

Wawrinka's career was defined by three Grand Slam titles, each won against a player ranked world No. 1 at the time of the final: Rafael Nadal at the 2014 Australian Open, Novak Djokovic at the 2015 French Open, and Djokovic again at the 2016 US Open. He achieved a career-high ranking of world No. 3 in 2014 and won 16 tour-level titles. His achievements were notable given the dominance of the "Big Three" (Federer, Nadal, Djokovic) during his era; before 2014, he had lost 14 consecutive matches against Djokovic and was 0-12 against Nadal. Between 2014 and 2016, however, he won eight matches against the Big Three, establishing himself as a formidable competitor at his peak.

Beyond singles, Wawrinka won the Olympic doubles gold medal with Roger Federer at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and helped Switzerland secure its first Davis Cup title in 2014. Basel held a farewell week for the retiring star, including presentations at FC Basel, a live artist portrait, and a ceremony featuring video messages from Federer, Andy Murray, Martina Navratilova, and John McEnroe. The tournament director described him as "the Sylvester Stallone of tennis."

In an interview with the ATP Tour website before his final match, Wawrinka reflected on his career philosophy: "For me, all I wanted in my career was to give everything, to have no regrets, to always fight, to always give 100% in every match — out of respect for myself, for the opponent, for the tournament, for the fans, for everybody." He also carries a forearm tattoo bearing a Samuel Beckett quote: "Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better." After his retirement match, Wawrinka stated, "I'm sad, but I've got a smile on my face." He is scheduled to attend a farewell evening in Geneva on December 19, billed as "One Last Backhand," alongside Federer, Murray, and Monfils.