Stan Wawrinka’s professional tennis career came to a close on Tuesday after the three-time Grand Slam champion suffered a first-round defeat at the Swiss Indoors in Basel, his home tournament.The 41-year-old Swiss went down 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, had announced last December that 2026 would be his final season on the tour. The veteran, popularly known as ‘Stan the Man’, received warm farewells at tournaments throughout his farewell year.Ahead of his last match, Wawrinka told the ATP Tour website that his career had always been guided by the desire to give his best and leave nothing unfinished.“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 said.“That was always the most important thing for more than 20 years, and that’s the only way you can leave the sport: without any regrets.”Wawrinka’s career was defined by three memorable Grand Slam triumphs, each secured against a player who was ranked world No. 1 at the time of the final.He defeated Rafael Nadal to lift the Australian Open title in 2014 before beating Novak Djokovic in the 2015 French Open final. He overcame Djokovic again in the 2016 US Open final to claim his third major crown.The Swiss reached a career-best ranking of world No. 3 in 2014 and finished his career with 16 tour-level titles.His achievements also included success alongside compatriot Roger Federer. The pair won the doubles gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics before helping Switzerland secure its first Davis Cup title in 2014.Wawrinka’s exit in Basel brought the curtain down on a career that spanned more than two decades and included some of the biggest victories of his generation.
