Three-time Grand Slam champion Stan Wawrinka has played the final match of his professional career, losing 7-5, 7-6 (2) to Czech eighth seed Jiri Lehecka in the first round of the Swiss Indoors in Basel on Tuesday 27 October 2026, in front of home fans.

A home farewell in Basel

The 41-year-old had announced last December that 2026 would be his last season, and the ATP 500 event in his native Switzerland marked his final tournament, 24 years after he turned professional. He received a tribute from the Basel crowd as he left the court for the last time as a player. The match itself was close: Lehecka took a tight first set 7-5 and then edged the second-set tie-break, denying Wawrinka a winning farewell but not the occasion. Elsewhere in Basel on the same day, top seed Ben Shelton survived a long three-set match against fellow American Aleksandar Kovacevic, helped by 44 aces, while second seed Arthur Fils and Spanish third seed Rafael Jodar also advanced. In Vienna, top seed Alexander Zverev saved four match points to beat Spanish wildcard Martin Landaluce, and second seed Carlos Alcaraz beat Karen Khachanov in straight sets.

A career built on big finals

Wawrinka's career will be remembered above all for winning the biggest finals against the biggest names. He beat Rafael Nadal to win the 2014 Australian Open, then beat Novak Djokovic in the finals of the 2015 French Open and the 2016 US Open. He finished with 16 ATP titles and a career-high world ranking of number three in 2014. Away from singles, he won Olympic doubles gold with Roger Federer in 2008 and helped Switzerland win its first Davis Cup in 2014. His parting message, in his own framing, was about giving everything in every match and leaving without regrets, a fitting summary for a player whose power and persistence carried him to the top of a sport dominated by all-time greats.

Sources: Reuters via Northland News Radio and Field Level Media ATP roundup.