Tennis player Stan Wawrinka ended his career after a match in Basel — ABC News Australia

Swiss tennis player Stan Wawrinka ended his professional career after losing in the first round of his home Swiss Indoors tournament in Basel, Switzerland. In his final match, the 41-year-old athlete lost to eighth-seeded Czech player Jiri Lehecka 5:7, 6:7 (2), ABC News reports.

Final match in Basel

Wawrinka's final shot in professional tennis was a backhand that went out of bounds. Spectators in the stands loudly expressed their disappointment after the match ended.

Wawrinka turned professional in 2002. In December 2025, he announced that the 2026 season would be his last on tour. Throughout his farewell season, the tennis player received warm send-offs at tournaments.

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Before his final match, Wawrinka said that throughout his career he had sought to give everything, fight and play at one hundred percent in every match — out of respect for himself, his opponent, the tournament and the fans. According to him, this is how one can leave the sport without regret.

Three Grand Slam titles

Wawrinka won three Grand Slam tournaments. He defeated Rafael Nadal in the 2014 Australian Open final, and Novak Djokovic in the finals of the 2015 French Open and the 2016 US Open. In each of those finals, his opponent was the world No. 1 at the time.

Wawrinka's highest position in the world rankings was third place in 2014. Over his career, he won 16 tour-level titles. Together with Roger Federer, he also won the doubles event for Switzerland at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, and in 2014 they helped the country win the Davis Cup for the first time.